knappologi

Swedish

FWOTD – 16 May 2019

Etymology

From knapp (“button”) +‎ -ologi, coined by August Strindberg in 1884 in his short story De lycksaliges ö in which one of the characters develops a quasiscientific classification system for buttons.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌknapʊlʊˈɡiː/

Noun

knappologi c

1. an exaggerated and pointlessly pedantic systematization, especially of something trivial
   • 1884, August Strindberg, "De lycksaliges ö: Nionde kapitlet", Svenska öden och äfventyr, published 1907, page 382:

     "Han skrev först en avhandling om Nödvändigheten av Knapparnes Studium ur Vetenskaplig synpunkt. Därpå gick han in till Skattkammaren med en inlaga anhållande om en Professorsplats i Knappologien, samt två amanuensplatser."

     First, he wrote a dissertation about the Necessity to Study Buttons from a Scientific point of view. After that, he went to the Treasury with a plea requesting the title of Professor of Knappologi, and also two amanuensis positions.

   • 2010, Anette Kindahl, "Kokongen":

     "De andra tror att vi sysslar med knappologi här i magasinet. De har ingen som helst känsla för föremålens historiska värde."

     The others think we do knappologi here in the repository. They have no understanding whatsoever for the historic value of the objects.

Declension

Declension of knappologi

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	knappologi	knappologis
	definite	knappologin	knappologins
plural	indefinite	—	—
	definite	—	—

Derived terms

• knappolog

Related terms

• knapp

Descendants

• → Finnish: knoppologia