 Each of these orders has its own criteria for eligibility, but knighthood is generally granted by a head of state, monarch, or prelate to selected persons to recognise some meritorious achievement, as in the British honours system, often for service to the Church or country.The modern female equivalent in English is Dame.The word "knight", from Old English "cniht" ("boy" or "servant"), is a cognate of the German word "Knecht" ("servant, bondsman, vassal").