Where does “knullen” come from?
knullen (Middle English) comes from Old English cnyllan, from Proto-West Germanic *knuʀlijan, from Proto-Germanic knuzlijaną, from Proto-Indo-European ǵen-.
Ancestry of “knullen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | cnyllan | to strike, knock, clap; to knell, ring a bell |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | *knuʀlijan | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | knuzlijaną | to butt; bump; knock; beat; to mash |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵen- | — |