knapp

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

knapp m

1. button
2. knob

stem=strong ''a''-stem

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.^[1] Cognate with Dutch knap, but of uncertain ultimate origin. Also compare Danish næppe (“hardly at all”).^[2]

• IPA^(key): /knap/, [knap]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio (Berlin, East Central German):

  (file)

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!

• Knappheit

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.

• kurz vor knapp

• “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

• knaps (Wiesemann spelling)

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”).^[1]

• IPA^(key): /knap/

knapp (comparative knapper, superlative knappest)

1. scarce

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

From Old Norse knappr.

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

1. button

• knapphull
• mansjettknapp

• “knapp” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

From Old Norse knappr.

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

1. button

• mansjettknapp

• “knapp” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

• IPA^(key): /ˈknap/

• Audio:

  (file)

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

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

• knappa in
• knapphet
• knapphändig

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

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

• knappa

• → Finnish: nappi

• tangent

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

From Middle English knobbe.

• IPA^(key): /nap/
• Homophone: nappe

knapp (plural knappas)

1. A button stuffed with cloth.

• 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