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 senses “journeyman”, “person (of some quality)” are 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 (strong, genitive Knotens, plural Knoten, diminutive Knötchen n)

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 [masculine, strong]

	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

Hyponyms

• Autobahnknoten
• Fruchtknoten
• Gordischer Knoten
• Haarknoten
• Nervenknoten
• Schuhbandknoten

Derived terms

• knotig

Related terms

• Knotenpunkt
• Knotenschrift

Further reading

• “Knoten” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Knoten” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.
• “Knoten” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “Knoten” in Duden online