knipsel

Knipsel is a Dutch term referring to a short excerpt or clipping taken from a newspaper, magazine, book, or other written source. The word is formed from knippen, “to cut,” and sel (an old form meaning a small piece). A knipsel is usually a fragment that is saved for reference, evidence, or study, rather than a full article.

Historically, knipsels were physically cut from publications and collected in a knipselmap or knipselboek. They were used by journalists, researchers, and private individuals to document facts, quotes, dates, or events about a person or topic. In libraries and archives, clipping files helped organize information by subject, person, or time period and often included source citations and brief notes.

With the advent of digital media, the concept persists in a modern form. Digital knipsels include saved quotes, image clippings, PDFs, or text snippets stored in note-taking apps, databases, or document collections. The practice remains a way to assemble and organize fragments of information for later reference, research, or compilation of background material. In Dutch, the term continues to be used alongside more general words like fragment, excerpt, or snippet, depending on context.

See also: clipping file, scrapbook, clipping service, note-taking.