An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Knappe

by Friedrich Kluge

Knappe, masculine, ‘squire, attendant,’ from Middle High German knappe, masculine, ‘youth, bachelor, servant, squire,’ Old High German chnappo, masculine; in the rest of the Old Teutonic languages there are no cognates pointing to Gothic *knabba; two variants of the assumed *knabba are mentioned under Knabe, where the further etymological question is discussed. Compare also Nabe with Nappe, Gothic laigân, ‘to lick,’ with Anglo-Saxon liccian.