Where does “knäppgök” come from?
knäppgök (Swedish) comes from Swedish gök, from Old Swedish gø̄ker, from Old Norse gaukr, from Proto-Germanic gaukaz, from Proto-Indo-European gʰAuǵ-.
knäppgök (Swedish): wacko, loony
Ancestry of “knäppgök”, step by step
knäppgök traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Swedish gök
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Swedish | gök | cuckoo; a bird; penis; liquor, of a mouthful size |
| 2 | Old Swedish | gø̄ker | cuckoo |
| 3 | Old Norse | gaukr | cuckoo |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | gaukaz | cuckoo |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰAuǵ- | — |
via Swedish knapp
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Swedish | knapp | scarce, not much of something; somewhat less... |
| 2 | Old Norse | knappr | knob |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | knappô | knob, lump; button |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | gnebʰ- | to press, tighten |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gen- | to squeeze, pinch, kink, ball up, concentrate; to... |