Where does “knattleikur” come from?
knattleikur (Icelandic) comes from Icelandic leikur, from Old Norse leikr, from Middle Low German lek, from Latin lāicus, from Ancient Greek λαϊκός, from Ancient Greek λᾱός, from Proto-Hellenic lāwós, from Proto-Indo-European leh₂wos — to bark, howl; to be concealed.
knattleikur (Icelandic): ball game
Definitions
- ball game
Ancestry of “knattleikur”, step by step
knattleikur traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Icelandic leikur
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Icelandic | leikur | playing, play; a game; a match, a game |
| 2 | Old Norse | leikr | game; sport; contest |
| 3 | Middle Low German | lek | — |
| 4 | Latin | lāicus | lay (of the laity) |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | λαϊκός | of the people; popular |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | λᾱός | people; men; the people |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | lāwós | people, crowd |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₂wos | people |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₂- | to bark, howl; to be concealed |