gnissla

Swedish

Etymology

Onomatopoeic.

Verb

gnissla (present gnisslar, preterite gnisslade, supine gnisslat, imperative gnissla)

1. to squeak (like unlubricated metal rubbing against metal, prototypically – high-pitched, relatively pure sounds)

   en gammal cykel som gnisslar

   an old bike that squeaks

   en gnisslande dörr

   a squeaky door

   1. to gnash, to grind (teeth, idiomatically)
2. (figuratively) to be friction, etc. (in cooperation or the like)

Usage notes

Might sometimes be translated as creak due to being more common for doors and the like, but means squeak. Low-pitched, high-frequency popping sounds (creaking) is knarr.

Conjugation

Conjugation of gnissla (weak)

	Active		Passive
Infinitive	gnissla		gnisslas
Supine	gnisslat		gnisslats
Imperative	gnissla		—
Imper. plural1	gnisslen		—
	Present	Past	Present	Past
Indicative	gnisslar	gnisslade	gnisslas	gnisslades
Ind. plural1	gnissla	gnisslade	gnisslas	gnisslades
Subjunctive2	gnissle	gnisslade	gnissles	gnisslades
	Participles
Present participle	gnisslande
Past participle	—
1 Archaic. 2 Dated. See the appendix on Swedish verbs.

Derived terms

• gnissel
• gnissla tänder
• tandagnisslan

See also

• knaka
• knarra (“creak”)

References

• gnissla in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• gnissla in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• gnissla in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
• gnissla in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)