knapp

See also: Knapp and knäpp

Elfdalian

Etymology

From Old Norse knappr, from Proto-Germanic *knappô, *knappa-, which is perhaps related to *knappō (“knob, boy”).

Noun

knapp m

1. button
2. knob

Inflection

Declension of knapp

masculine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	knapp	knappen	knapper	knappär
accusative	knapp	knappen	knappa	knappą
dative	knappe	knappem	knappum	knappum(e)
genitive	—	—	—	—

German

Etymology

From Middle Low German knap, probably related to Old Norse hneppr (“button”) and hneppa (“pinch”), all from Proto-Germanic *knappô, *knappa-, which is perhaps related to Proto-West Germanic *knappō (“knob, boy”) or Proto-Germanic *knuppaz (“lump, clod”), though the semantic gaps are non-trivial. Cognate with Dutch knap, but of uncertain ultimate origin. Also compare Danish næppe (“hardly at all”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /knap/, [knap]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

Adjective

knapp (strong nominative masculine singular knapper, comparative knapper, superlative am knappsten)

1. scarce
2. lean (having little extra)
3. somewhat less (than)

   ein knappes Jahr

   a little less than a year

4. (clothes) short or tight
5. a close call, a narrow escape

   Das war knapp. Wir wären fast abgestürzt!

   That was close. We nearly crashed!

Declension

Positive forms of knapp number & gender singular plural masculine feminine neuter predicative er ist knapp sie ist knapp es ist knapp sie sind knapp strong declension (without article) nominative knapper knappe knappes knappe genitive knappen knapper knappen knapper dative knappem knapper knappem knappen accusative knappen knappe knappes knappe weak declension (with definite article) nominative der knappe die knappe das knappe die knappen genitive des knappen der knappen des knappen der knappen dative dem knappen der knappen dem knappen den knappen accusative den knappen die knappe das knappe die knappen mixed declension (with indefinite article) nominative ein knapper eine knappe ein knappes (keine) knappen genitive eines knappen einer knappen eines knappen (keiner) knappen dative einem knappen einer knappen einem knappen (keinen) knappen accusative einen knappen eine knappe ein knappes (keine) knappen Comparative forms of knapp number & gender singular plural masculine feminine neuter predicative er ist knapper sie ist knapper es ist knapper sie sind knapper strong declension (without article) nominative knapperer knappere knapperes knappere genitive knapperen knapperer knapperen knapperer dative knapperem knapperer knapperem knapperen accusative knapperen knappere knapperes knappere weak declension (with definite article) nominative der knappere die knappere das knappere die knapperen genitive des knapperen der knapperen des knapperen der knapperen dative dem knapperen der knapperen dem knapperen den knapperen accusative den knapperen die knappere das knappere die knapperen mixed declension (with indefinite article) nominative ein knapperer eine knappere ein knapperes (keine) knapperen genitive eines knapperen einer knapperen eines knapperen (keiner) knapperen dative einem knapperen einer knapperen einem knapperen (keinen) knapperen accusative einen knapperen eine knappere ein knapperes (keine) knapperen Superlative forms of knapp number & gender singular plural masculine feminine neuter predicative er ist am knappsten sie ist am knappsten es ist am knappsten sie sind am knappsten strong declension (without article) nominative knappster knappste knappstes knappste genitive knappsten knappster knappsten knappster dative knappstem knappster knappstem knappsten accusative knappsten knappste knappstes knappste weak declension (with definite article) nominative der knappste die knappste das knappste die knappsten genitive des knappsten der knappsten des knappsten der knappsten dative dem knappsten der knappsten dem knappsten den knappsten accusative den knappsten die knappste das knappste die knappsten mixed declension (with indefinite article) nominative ein knappster eine knappste ein knappstes (keine) knappsten genitive eines knappsten einer knappsten eines knappsten (keiner) knappsten dative einem knappsten einer knappsten einem knappsten (keinen) knappsten accusative einen knappsten eine knappste ein knappstes (keine) knappsten

Derived terms

• Knappheit

Adverb

knapp

1. narrowly, just, barely

   Wir sind knapp pünktlich.

   We’re just in time.

2. somewhat less than, almost

   Antonym: gut

   Sein Sohn ist knapp acht Jahre alt.

   His son is just under eight years old/is almost eight years old.

   Es ist knapp sieben Uhr.

   It's just before seven o'clock/almost seven o'clock.

Derived terms

• kurz vor knapp

Further reading

• “knapp” in Duden online
• “knapp”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache‎^[1] (in German)
• Friedrich Kluge (1883), “knapp”, in John Francis Davis, transl., Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, published 1891
• “knapp”, in Cambridge German–English Dictionary‎^[2]
• “knapp” in Collins German–English Dictionary

Hunsrik

Alternative forms

• knaps (Wiesemann spelling)

Etymology

From Middle Low German knap, probably related to Old Norse hneppr (“button”) and hneppa (“pinch”), all from Proto-Germanic *knappô, *knappa-, which is perhaps related to *knappō (“knob, boy”). Cognate with Dutch knap, but of uncertain ultimate origin. Also compare Danish næppe (“hardly at all”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈknap/
• Rhymes: -ap
• Syllabification: knapp

Adjective

knapp (comparative knapper, superlative knappest)

1. scarce

Declension

Declension of knapp (see also Appendix:Hunsrik adjectives)

		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
weak inflection	nominative	knapp	knapp	knapp	knappe
	accusative	knappe	knapp	knapp	knappe
	dative	knappe	knappe	knappe	knappe
strong inflection	nominative	knapper	knappe	knappes	knappe
	accusative	knappe	knappe	knappes	knappe
	dative	knappem	knapper	knappem	knappe

Derived terms

• Knappheet
• Knappheit

Further reading

• Boll, Piter Kehoma (2021), “knapp”, in Dicionário Hunsriqueano Riograndense–Português, 3rd edition (overall work in Portuguese), Ivoti: Riograndenser Hunsrickisch, page 92, column 2

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse knappr.

Noun

knapp m (definite singular knappen, indefinite plural knapper, definite plural knappene)

1. button

Derived terms

• hornknapp
• knapphull
• mansjettknapp

References

• “knapp” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse knappr.

Noun

knapp m (definite singular knappen, indefinite plural knappar, definite plural knappane)

1. button

Derived terms

• hornknapp
• mansjettknapp
• raudknapp

References

• “knapp” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Swedish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈknap/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio (Sweden (Stockholm)):

  (file)

Etymology 1

From Middle Low German knap, whence also German knapp, Danish knap. Further cognate with Dutch knap. Compare also Danish næppe (“hardly at all”).

Adjective

knapp (comparative knappare, superlative knappast)

1. scarce, not much of something

   tiden är knapp

   there's not much time

   växa upp under knappa omständigheter

   to grow up under conditions where nothing is abundant

2. somewhat less than

   en knapp kilometer

   somewhat less than one kilometer

Declension

Inflection of knapp

Indefinite	positive	comparative	superlative1
common singular	knapp	knappare	knappast
neuter singular	knappt	knappare	knappast
plural	knappa	knappare	knappast
masculine plural2	knappe	knappare	knappast
Definite	positive	comparative	superlative
masculine singular3	knappe	knappare	knappaste
all	knappa	knappare	knappaste

¹ The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative.
² Dated or archaic.
³ Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.

Derived terms

• knappa in
• knapphet
• knapphändig

Etymology 2

From Old Norse knappr, from Proto-Germanic *knappô, *knappa-, which is perhaps related to *knappō (“knob, boy”). See also Proto-Germanic *knuppaz (“lump”).

Noun

knapp c

1. a button (fastener for clothes)

   knäppa en knapp

   fasten/button a button

   sy fast en knapp

   sew on a button

2. a button (meant to be pressed)

   Coordinate terms: ratt, spak

   Tryck inte på knappen

   Don't press the button

   1. (graphical user interface) a button
   2. a switch (in the form of a button, or sometimes more generally by informal extension, especially for light switches)

      Synonym: strömbrytare

      en ljusknapp / lysknapp

      a light switch

3. (botany) an anther

Declension

Declension of knapp

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	knapp	knapps
	definite	knappen	knappens
plural	indefinite	knappar	knappars
	definite	knapparna	knapparnas

Derived terms

• knappa
• manschettknapp
• tryckknapp

Descendants

• → Finnish: nappi

See also

• tangent

References

• “knapp”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “knapp”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• “knapp”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)

Yola

Etymology

From Middle English knobbe.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /knap/

Noun

knapp (plural knappas)

1. A button stuffed with cloth.

References

• Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828), William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 50