Where does “knock” come from?
Knock comes from Middle English knocken, from Old English cnocian, from Proto-Germanic knukōną and knukô, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gen- with the suffix -eh₂.
knock (English): An abrupt rapping sound, as from an impact of a...
Definitions
- An abrupt rapping sound, as from an impact of a...
Ancestry of “knock”, step by step
knock traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English knokken
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | knokken | To pound; to beat down |
| 2 | Old English | cnocian | to knock; to knock on something; to hit, strike |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | knukōną | To pound on; beat on; knock |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | gnew- | a bundle; knot; knot, bundle |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gen- | to squeeze, pinch, kink, ball up, concentrate; to... |
via Irish cnoc
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Irish | cnoc | hill, mount |
| 2 | Old Irish | cnocc | hill; lump; swelling |
| 3 | Proto-Celtic | *knukkos | protuberance; hill |
via Scottish Gaelic cnoc
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scottish Gaelic | cnoc | hill, hillock, knoll, eminence; heel kibe;... |