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 *knappō (“knob, boy”). Cognate with Dutch knap, but of uncertain ultimate origin. Also compare Danish næppe (“hardly at all”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /knap/, [knap]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio (Berlin, East Central German):

  (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
• Friedrich Kluge (1883) “knapp”, in John Francis Davis, transl., Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, published 1891

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): /knap/

Adjective

knapp (comparative knapper, superlative knappest)

1. scarce

Declension

Declension of knapp (see also Appendix:Hunsrik adjectives)
		masculine	feminine	neuter	plural
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

• Piter Kehoma Boll (2021) “knapp”, in Dicionário Hunsriqueano Riograndense–Português (in Portuguese), 3rd edition, 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

• 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

• mansjettknapp

References

• “knapp” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Swedish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈknap/

• Audio:

  (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”).

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

Descendants

• → Finnish: nappi

See also

• tangent

References

• knapp in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• knapp in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• knapp in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Yola

Etymology

From Middle English knobbe.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nap/
• Homophone: nappe

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