The term knapsack (sometimes spelled knapsacke in its early days) was first documented in a 1603 history of the Second Barons’ War. It was derived from either the Dutch word knapzak or from Middle Low German Knapsack. Both origins trace back to Germanic elements: one resembling cnappen or knappen meaning “to eat”, and the word sack, which denoted “bag”, similar to its modern usage today. In earlier times, cnappen meant “snap” or “crack” – the sound believed to be akin to those made while eating – and is ultimately of onomatopoeic descent. Sack derives from Proto-Germanic sakkuz, Latin saccus, and Proto-Germanic sakkos, all signifying “bag”. There is a possibility of Semitic influence, as etymologists have identified similar words in Hebrew and Egyptian.
