An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Knorpel

by Friedrich Kluge

Knorpel, masculine, ‘gristle,’ from Middle High German knorpel-, knorbel-, bein knospel, ‘cartilage.’ It cannot be certainly decided whether the word is based on a Gothic knuzba- or *knaúrba-; the former is the more probable for grammatical reasons; Modern Dutch knobbel, Modern Low German knusperknaken, ‘cartilaginous bone.’