Where does “knick-knackery” come from?
knick-knackery (English) comes from English knick-knack, from English knack, from English Knaack, from Dutch knaak, from Middle Low German knoke, from Old Dutch knuko, from Proto-West Germanic *knokō — joint.
Ancestry of “knick-knackery”, step by step
knick-knackery traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English knick-knack
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | knick-knack | A small ornament of minor value |
| 2 | English | knack | A readiness in performance; aptness at doing... |
| 3 | English | Knaack | — |
| 4 | Dutch | knaak | A 2½ guilders coin; A large, valuable coin |
| 5 | Middle Low German | knoke | — |
| 6 | Old Dutch | knuko | — |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | *knokō | joint |
via English ery
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ery | — |