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Norwegian word of the day: knull

The Local Norway
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Norwegian word of the day: knull
This word wasn't always what it is today. Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

Our Norwegian word of the day series is back with a, er, bang. But there's a good reason why we're talking about this word today

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Today's word is not one to use in polite company: ett knull means 'an act of sexual intercourse'. The one-word English translation would be 'fuck', except it's probably even more vulgar (knull is never used in any other context, like 'fuck' can be used as an expression of frustration, surprise, or an intensifier). 
 
It's been used in both Norwegian and Swedish for centuries, and comes from the verb knulle.
 
But while in Swedish, its used in compound words like knullkompis, Norwegians tend to fall back on the English "fuck buddy"). 
 
Why are we talking about this word today? 
 
Well, when Marvel Comics launched an ad campaign to tease a new villain arriving to their universe this year, the slogan was "knull is coming" (that's the name of the character). Needless to say, they probably didn't get the reaction they intended from their Norwegian fanbase.
 
 

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It didn't take long for users on Twitter to cast around looking for the person who came up with the name, and Marvel writer Donny Cates gamely came forwards shortly afterwards.  
 
Knull didn't always have a sexual connotation, since it originally meant 'to bump' or 'to push'. It comes from an Old Germanic word, and is related to the verb knüllen in today's German, which might make Norwegian speakers giggle but actually means "to crumple".
 

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