Norwegian: Knips/Knipse

[Abalord]

Hey Everyone, I'm not sure exactly what's the meaning of this word. Perhaps to slap or to pinch? Here's the context:

Sønnen deres på fire år hadde fortalt at far slo. De benektet det sterkt, og mente gutten overdrev.
Etter hvert kom det frem at de ikke slo, men knipset ham på hodet da han gjorde noe de mente var galt.
Hvis han somlet, tullet med klærne eller gråt uten grunn, fikk han et knips.

 

[Ben Jamin]

The Norwegian - English dictionary gives a translation of knipse: "snap with fingers".
The Merriam Webster dictionary defines to snap as making a sound using fingers against each other.
The actual meaning in your context must be "to hit someone using a rapid movement of fingers like under making a snapping sound". It is most probable that the hit was administered against the head or ear of the boy.

 

[Abalord]

Thank you! so it's perhaps something like a "flick".
If I try to visualize it could be perhaps that the parents hit the the boy just with the tip of the fingers and not the whole palm?

 

[Segorian]

Thank you! so it's perhaps something like a "flick".
If I try to visualize it could be perhaps that the parents hit the the boy just with the tip of the fingers and not the whole palm?

I believe the answer to that is ‘Yes’. I am not Norwegian, but I do happen to know that a knips can be either a ‘snap’, such as that produced when keeping a musical beat, or a ‘fillip’.

 

[Ben Jamin]

Something like this (see attached pictures)

 

[bicontinental]

Thank you! so it's perhaps something like a "flick".

That's my understanding, too. The parents flick him on his head when he does something wrong.