Knock and Nickel

FOR centuries knock has stood out clearly in the toponymy of various parts of Europe. Now and again one of its diminutives, nickel, has also attracted attention. This diminutive has given its name to a metal that is playing a very important part in our national economy today. Hitherto etymologists have overlooked the possibility of linking this metallurgical term with its geographical source. They seem inclined to favor the opinion that a mischievous demon who, according to popular belief, inhabited the mines and often hindered the smelting processes has had his misdeeds commemorated in this way. However, a bit of digging and searching uncovers a large word group that points to a derivation not romantic but realistic an association of the place-name element knock with the metal nickel

Metallurgy · Nickel · Linguistics and language evolution · Materials Science · Metallurgy and Cultural Artifacts

• Generic Terms in the Place Names of Louisiana, an Index to the Cultural Landscape

  Randall A Detro, Randall Detro•1970

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