Where does “canif” come from?

canif (French) comes from Middle English knif, from Old English cnīf, from Old Norse knífr, from Proto-Germanic knībaz, from Proto-Germanic knīpaną, from Proto-Indo-European ǵneybʰ-.

canif (French): penknife

Definitions

  1. penknife

Ancestry of “canif”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishknifAlternative form of knyf; knife
2Old Englishcnīfknife
3Old Norseknífrknife
4Proto-Germanicknībazpincers; shears; knife
5Proto-Germanicknīpanąto pinch
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵneybʰ-—

Words derived from “canif”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵneybʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic knīpaną →Every word from Proto-Germanic knībaz →