Page:An Etymological Dictionary of the Norn Language in Shetland Part I.pdf/567

also knee-timber in a vessel; Mod. No. kne, n., Da. knæ, n., id. Cf. *kragek and “kraga-tae”, sbs.

knee-shall [kni̇̄ᶊäl, kni̇̄·ᶊäl·], sb., the knee-pan, O.N. knéskel, f.

knepp [knɛp, knæp, k‘n-], vb., to bind, clench or fold, to tie together; to k. de nev, to clench the fist, to k. de hands, to fold the hands, e.g. at prayer (Uⁿ. occas.: k‘n-); to k. a mesi (o’ hay), to tie the carrying-bands, de fetels, around a straw-net basket (with hay) in transport by pack-horse. Also hnepp [hnɛp, hnæp] and snepp [snɛp, snæp]. The form knepp is characteristic of Wests. and Mⁿ., partly also of N.I.; hnepp esp. of Easts., partly of S.Sh. (alternating with knepp); snepp of N.I., alternating with hnepp and knepp. — O.N. kneppa and hneppa, vb., (to make scant) to press; squeeze; to pinch. See hnepp and snepp, vbs.

knepp [knəp], adj., scant; close; (too) short. Fo. No. kneppen, Icel. (O.N.) hneppr (= Icel. hnappr), adj., scant; short.

knibb [knɩb], vb., in play, competition: to strike the knuckles against those of another person. Fo. Cf. No. knubba, vb., to push; shove (knua, vb., to knuckle; knead, press with the knuckles), Da. knubbe, vb., to beat, and knubse, vb., to thump, drub; Sw. dial. knybbla, vb., to beat (slightly).

knibbi [knɩbi], sb., a pointed stone, sharp point on a stone or on a fragment of rock. Conn. No. knibbe, m., sharp stone (Wille), pointed crag (R.).

knibbi [knɩbi], adj., stumpy, small of stature but well-knit. Fo. *knybb-by i-mutation from *knubb-. Cf. No. knubben, adj., thick-set (from knubb, m., block; log of wood), knybba, f., and knybbe, n., small lump; piece

of wood; Sw. dial. knubbe and knybbel, m., inter alia a small ox.

knibi [kni̇̄bi, knibi], sb., a handle or peg in a pack-saddle, one of the two projecting handles (in a pack-saddle), crossing each other; de knibis o’ de klibber. Yⁿ., Nmⁿ. occas. The long, pure i-sound in the main syllable indicates knibi not to be the same word as the before-treated knibbi, sb., but an original *kníp-. Cf. No. knip (ii), m., and knipa (ii), f., Sw. dial. knip, m., steep mountain-top, crag. For the development of meaning of the Shetl. word cf. e.g. klakk, sb., partly rock (hill), fragment of rock, bank (in the sea), partly peg in a pack-saddle, and cf. besides nibi and nivi, sbs., = knibi.

knif [knɩf, knəf (knʌf), kᶇɩf, kᶇəf (k‘ᶇɩf, k‘ᶇəf)], adj., quick (in action and movement), clever, active and able; a k. body. In some places (as in Uⁿ.) esp. applied to old, yet able-bodied, active people. Uⁿ., Y^h. [knɩf]. Y^m., Fe. [knəf], Y^b. [k‘ᶇəf (k‘ᶇɩf)]. Wests. (Sa.) [kᶇɩf, kᶇef]. S.Sh. [kᶇɩf]. With hn: hnif [hnɩf, hnəf, hᶇɩf, hᶇef, hᶇəf], esp. on Easts. Fe. occas. (J.I.): [hnɩf, hnəf]. Lunn. [hᶇəf]. knifi [knəfi, knʌfi]: U^ba. [knʌfi] and several places. Also in forms with o [ȯ]: knof [knȯf] and hnof [hnȯf], reported by J.I. — Icel. knæfr (næfr), adj., brave; active; ardent (B.H.); quick, clever (E.J.). Da. (dial.) knøv, adj., clever. L.Sc. kneef, kneif, knief. Cf. O.N. nœfr, adj., clever; skilled. — The now comparatively rare forms with o [ȯ] (knof, hnof) are, as a rule, older in Shetl. than the forms with “i”, which must be due to influence of L.Scottish. Without initial k (h) is found in Shetl. nof, njof, adj., q.v.

knikr, knikker [knɩkər (knekər)], vb., to emit a grating or snickering