Dutch word knaap comes from Proto-Indo-European *gen-, and later Proto-Germanic *knappô (A boy, a youth. A knob.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *gen- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | to pinch, squeeze, bend, press together, ball3, to pinch, squeeze, bend, press, ball up |
| *gnebʰ- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | to press, tighten |
| *knappô | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | A boy, a youth. A knob. |
| *knapo | Old Dutch (odt) | |
| knape | Middle Dutch (dum) | |
| knaap | Dutch (nld) | (by extension) Any human male, regardless of age. (chiefly, in compounds) A servant, helper. A big one, whopper, said of a creature or an object. Boy, usually adolescent. |