knickknacks

The word 'knickknack' is a reduplication of the earlier word 'knack,' which in the 14th century meant a clever trick or device, likely of imitative origin suggesting a sharp, snapping sound. By the 16th century, 'knack' also came to denote a cleverly made toy or trinket. The reduplicated form 'knickknack' emerged in the late 16th century, following a common pattern in English for forming words for trivial or repetitive things (like 'zigzag' or 'riffraff'). This playful doubling reinforced the sense of something trivial, ornamental, and of little consequence, solidifying its modern meaning as a small decorative object.

Structure: knick (echoic) + knack (echoic) 'Knick' and 'knack' are both reduplicative, echoic formations from Middle English, imitating a sharp sound or a clever trick. Their functional role is to create a rhyming compound.