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knap·sack

(năpsăk′)

A bag made of sturdy material and furnished with shoulder straps, designed for carrying articles on the back.

[Probably Low German Knappsack : knappen, to bite (probably of imitative origin) + Sack, bag (from Middle Low German sak, from Old High German sac, from Late Latin saccus; see SACK¹).]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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