cnocian

Old English

Alternative forms

• cnucian

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *knokōn, from Proto-Germanic *knukōną. Cognate with Middle High German knochen (“to nudge; prod; slap”), Old Norse knoka (“to knock; thump”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkno.ki.ɑn/

Verb

cnocian

1. (intransitive) to knock (rap one's knuckles against something)

   Iċ eom sē þe cnocaþ.

   I am the one who knocks.

   • c. 992, Ælfric, "On the Festival of St. Peter the Apostle"

     Hē cnocode æt þǣre dura.

     He knocked at the door.

   • c. 992, Ælfric, "On the Festival of St. Peter the Apostle"

     Petrus cnocode forþ oþ þæt hīe hine inn lēton.

     Peter kept knocking until they let him in.

2. (transitive) to knock on something

   Cnoca þā duru hearde.

   Knock on the door hard.

   • c. 990, Wessex Gospels, Luke 13:25

     Þonne sē hīredes ealdor inn gǣþ and his duru beclȳst, and ġē standaþ þǣr ūte and þā duru cnociaþ, and cweðaþ, "Dryhten, ātȳn ūs," þonne cwiþ hē tō ēow, "Ne cann iċ ēow; nāt iċ hwanon ġē sind."

     When the master of the house goes in and shuts the door, and you stand outside and knock on the door, saying, "Lord, open to us," then he will say to you, "I don't know you, I don't know where you're from."

3. to hit, strike
4. to pound

Conjugation

Conjugation of cnocian (weak class 2)

infinitive	cnocian	cnocienne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	cnociġe	cnocode
second person singular	cnocast	cnocodest
third person singular	cnocaþ	cnocode
plural	cnociaþ	cnocodon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	cnociġe	cnocode
plural	cnociġen	cnocoden
imperative
singular	cnoca
plural	cnociaþ
participle	present	past
	cnociende	(ġe)cnocod

Descendants

• Middle English: knokken, cnoken, knocke, knok, knoke, knokke, knokkyn
  • English: knock
    • → Dutch: knokken; nokken
  • Scots: knock, tnock, knack
  • Yola: knockt (preterite)