snap
/snæp/
verb
Origin
Middle Low German
snappen — to bite, snatch, or snap
Overview
Meaning Now
- To break suddenly with a sharp cracking sound.
- To move or close with a quick, sharp movement or sound.
- To experience a sudden emotional or psychological collapse.
Literal older meaning
to bite or snatch
Language path
Middle Low German → Middle English → English
Earliest form
snappen
Earliest period
late 14th century
Journey
The word likely originated as an onomatopoeic term describing the sound of a dog biting or the breaking of a twig, common in North Sea Germanic dialects.
Evolution
- West Germanic
*snapp-
“to grasp or bite”
Reconstructed base indicating quick, sharp action.
- Middle Low German
snappen
“to snatch or seize”
- Middle English
snappen
“to snap or snatch”
Introduced via contact with Low German/Dutch traders.
- Early Modern English
snap
“to break or make a sharp sound”
The meaning shifted from the act of snatching to the sound made by such an act.
Connections
Word parts
snap
root
sharp, quick action or sound
Related across languages
Dutch
snappen
to catch, understand, or snatch
German
schnappen
to snap, snatch, or gasp
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Related to snap
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.