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
- button
- 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. Cognate with Dutch knap, whose sense "pretty" also occurs in old German attestations and is thought to be derived from "tight" via "tightly fitting" (of a piece of clothing). Further origin unsettled. Also compare Danish næppe (“hardly at all”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /knap/, [knap]
Audio (file) Audio (East Central German, Berlin dialect) (file)
Adjective
knapp (strong nominative masculine singular knapper, comparative knapper, superlative am knappsten)
- scarce
- lean (having little extra)
- somewhat less (than)
- ein knappes Jahr
- a little less than a year
- (clothes) short or tight
- 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 | all genders | ||
| 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 | all genders | ||
| 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 | all genders | ||
| 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
- narrowly, just, barely
- Wir sind knapp pünktlich.
- We’re just in time.
- somewhat less than, almost
- 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.
- Antonym: gut
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
Etymology
From Middle Low German knap. 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)
- scarce
Declension
| Declension of knapp | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
- Online Hunsrik Dictionary
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology
From Old Norse knappr.
Noun
knapp m (definite singular knappen, indefinite plural knapper, definite plural knappene)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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
- tiden är knapp
- somewhat less than
- en knapp kilometer
- somewhat less than one kilometre
- en knapp kilometer
Declension
| Inflection of knapp | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Indefinite | Positive | Comparative | Superlative2 |
| Common singular | knapp | knappare | knappast |
| Neuter singular | knappt | knappare | knappast |
| Plural | knappa | knappare | knappast |
| Masculine plural3 | knappe | knappare | knappast |
| Definite | Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
| Masculine singular1 | knappe | knappare | knappaste |
| All | knappa | knappare | knappaste |
| 1) Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine. 2) The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative. 3) Dated or archaic | |||
Derived terms
- knapphet
- knapphändig
Etymology 2
From Old Norse knappr, from Proto-Germanic *knappô, *knappa-, which is perhaps related to *knappō (“knob, boy”).
Noun
knapp c
- button
- knob, lever, switch (e.g. the button for an electrical on/off switch)
- Coordinate term: ratt
- (botany) anther
Declension
| Declension of knapp | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Plural | |||
| Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
| Nominative | knapp | knappen | knappar | knapparna |
| Genitive | knapps | knappens | knappars | knapparnas |
Descendants
- → Finnish: nappi
Westrobothnian
Etymology
From Old Norse knappr, from Proto-Germanic *knappô, *knappa-, which is perhaps related to *knappō (“knob, boy”).
Noun
knapp m
- A stick, stick used to close tub lid.
See also
- knagg
- knaapp
Yola
Etymology
From Middle English knobbe.
Noun
knapp (plural knappas)
- a button stuffed with cloth
References
- Jacob Poole (1867), 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, page 50