Knoten

German

Etymology

From Middle High German knote, knode, from Old High German knoto, knodo. The two forms are probably variants based on Grammatischer Wechsel. The form with -t- (from Proto-Germanic *-d-) was predominant in East Central German, that with -d- (from Proto-Germanic *-þ-) in Upper German. Incidentally, this situation explains the lengthened vowel in the standardized form (lengthening being blocked before -t- in Upper German, but not in Central German). Neither German form can be derived directly from Proto-Germanic *knuttô, whence Middle High German knotze and English knot, though a relation is very likely.

The sense “journeyman”, “person (of some quality)” is probably due, at least in part, to conflation with Middle Low German genôte (“mate, companion”), cognate of German Genosse. Alongside, there is a common tendency of referring to people, especially children, with words for thick, plump, or inflated objects (compare e.g. Balg).

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈknoːtən/, [ˈknoːtən], [ˈknoːtn̩]
  • Audio(file)

Noun

Knoten m (genitive Knotens, plural Knoten)

  1. knot (looping)
  2. knot (swelling)
  3. (Austria) interchange (motorway junction)
  4. (nautical) knot (unit of speed)
  5. (graph theory) vertex, node
  6. (obsolete, derogatory) craftsman; journeyman; farmhand
  7. (in compounds) a person of some specified quality or practice; chiefly in Furzknoten, but sometimes other colloquial formations

Declension
Declension of Knoten
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein der Knoten die Knoten
genitive eines des Knotens der Knoten
dative einem dem Knoten den Knoten
accusative einen den Knoten die Knoten

Synonyms
  • (interchange): Dreieck; Autobahndreieck; Kreuz; Autobahnkreuz
  • (in graph theory): Ecke

Derived terms

Further reading
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