Page:An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language.djvu/205

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stems of the word; comp. Lat. genu, Gr. γόνυ (comp. γνυ-πετεῖν, γνύξ, ἰγνύαλ), Sans. iŭnu, n., ‘knee’ (abhijñu, ‘down to the knee,’ jñu-bãdh, ‘kneeling’). This Aryan stem gnu had when declined the variant gnew-, which appears extended in Teut. by the a of the a-declension, Goth. kniwa-. The shorter Teut. form knu-, Aryan gnu-, has been retained in Goth. *knu-ssus (inferred from knussjan, ‘to kneel’), ‘kneeling’ (the suffix -ssus is current in Goth.), and probably also in OIc. knúe, m., ‘knuckle’ (presupposing Goth. *knuwa, m.); there are also some abnormal l-derivatives, MidE. cnélien, E. to kneel, Du. knielen, and Swiss chnüle, ‘to kneel.’

Kniff, m., ‘pinch,’ ModHG. only, allied to kneifen; Du. kneep, f., ‘pinch, pinching.’

Knirps, m., ‘pigmy,’ ModHG. only, a MidG. word, by syncope from *knürbes, knirbes (comp. LG. knirfix, Lower Rhen. knirwes), MidE. närvel, nirvel (AS. *cnyrfel?), ‘pigmy,’ are formed with a different dimin. termination. Allied to Suab. knorp, ‘pigmy’; and to Du. knorf, ‘knot’?.

knirren, vb., ‘to creak,’ from MidHG. knirren, ‘to jar.’ A recent imitative word.

knirschen, vb., ‘to gnash,’ MidHG. *knirsen, may be inferred from knirsunge, f., ‘gnashing,’ and zerknürsen, ‘to crush, squash’; for sch from s after r comp. Hirsch and Arsch; comp. ModDu. knarsen, knersen, ‘to gnash, crash,’ knarsetanden, ‘to gnash with the teeth.’

knistern, vb., ‘to crackle,’ from MidHG. *knisten, on which the noun knistunge, f., ‘gnashing,’ is based; an onomnatopoetic formation.

Knittelvers, m., ‘doggerel,’ ModHG. only; Knittel for Knüttel, ‘cudgel.’ E. staff, in the sense of ‘stick,’ and also ‘verse, strophe, stanza,’ may be adduced as an approximate parallel. The Dutchman Junius says of the refrain in Du. popular songs, ‘In vulgaribus rhythmis versum identidem repetitum scipionem ant baculm appellant’; the Romans had versus rhopalici, the Scandinavians the stef.

knittern, vb., ‘to rumple,’ ModHG. only; an imitative word.

knobeln, vb., ‘to fillip,’ ModHG. only, allied to a widely diffused dial. form knöbel (UpG.), knöwel (MidG. and LG.), ‘joint,’ espec. of the fingers.

Knoblauch, m., ‘garlic,’ from MidHG. knobelouch, m., with the orig. variant klobelouch, m., OHG. chlobolouh, chlofolouh, chlo-

volouh, m.; with regard to b for f, comp. Schwefel; the kn of the MidHG. and ModHG. words may be explained as in Knäuel by a process of differentiation, i.e. the l of the next syllable produced the change of the first l into n, comp. ModDu. knoflook and MidLG. kloflôk. In the ordinary explanation of ‘cleft leek’ no regard is paid to the fact that the first part of the compound, which is identical with ModHG. Kloben, appears elsewhere in the Teut. group, AS. clufe, E. clove (of garlic), AS. clufþung, ‘crowfoot,’ clufwyrt, ‘buttercup.’

Knöchel, m., from the equiv. MidHG. knöchel, knüchel,. m., ‘knuckle’; dimin. of Knochen, MidHG. knoche; AS. cnucel, MidE. knokil, E. knuckle, and the equiv. Du. knokkel.

Knochen, m., ‘bone,’ from MidHG. knoche, m. ‘bone, knot of a branch, fruit capsule,’ The ModHG. word, almost unknown to Luther, rarely occurs in MidHG., and is entirely wanting in OHG. (Bein is the genuine UpG. and HG. word for Knochen, which again is orig. native to the MidG. and LG. dialects.) Knochen is, however, proved by the corresponding dimin. Knöchel to be a good OTeut. word; Goth. *knuqa, m., may be assumed. It is still uncertain whether it is connected with E. to knock, AS. cnucian, OIc. knoka, MidHG. knochen, ‘to cuff,’ or is related to OIc. knúe, ‘knuckle,’ which would favour its further kinship with Knie. From *knuqa, UpG. Knocke, ‘snag, knot,’ MidHG. knock, ‘nape,’ may be derived; their ck correctly represents the old q. Allied words with final g in the stem are, however, obscure, MidHG. knögerlin, ‘little knot, and MidHG. knügel, ‘knuckle.’

Knocke, f., ‘bundle, bunch,’ ModHG. only, from LG. knocke; proved to be a genuine OTeut. word by AS. *cnyčče, MidE. knucche, ‘bundle’ (e.g. ‘bundle of hay’), E. knitch, ‘faggot’; Goth. *knuka, or rather *knukja, m., are wanting.

Knödel, m., ‘dumpling,’ from MidHG. knödel, m., ‘seed-bud, dumpling’; dimin. of MidHG. knode, ‘knot,’ discussed under Knoten.

Knollen, m., ‘clod, bulb,’ from MidHG. knolle, m., ‘clod, lump’; OHG. *chnollo, m., is wanting. With the MidHG. meaning are connected AS. cnoll, m., E. knoll; Du. knol, ‘turnip.’

Knopf, m., ‘button, knob, pommel,’ from MidHG. and OHG. knopf, m., ‘pro-