Where does “knick-knack” come from?

knick-knack (English) comes from English knack, from English Knaack, from Dutch knaak, from Middle Low German knoke, from Old Dutch knuko, from Proto-West Germanic *knokō — joint.

knick-knack (English): A small ornament of minor value

Definitions

  1. A small ornament of minor value

Ancestry of “knick-knack”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishknackA readiness in performance; aptness at doing...
2EnglishKnaack—
3DutchknaakA 2½ guilders coin; A large, valuable coin
4Middle Low Germanknoke—
5Old Dutchknuko—
6Proto-West Germanic*knokōjoint

Words derived from “knick-knack”

Every word from Proto-West Germanic *knokō →Every word from Old Dutch knuko →Every word from Middle Low German knoke →
knick-knack — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer