knappologi

From knapp (“button”) +‎ -ologi, coined by August Strindberg in 1884 in his short story De lycksaliges ö in which one of the characters develops a quasiscientific classification system for buttons.

• IPA^(key): /ˌknapʊlʊˈɡiː/

knappologi c

1. an exaggerated and pointlessly pedantic systematization, especially of something trivial
   • 1907, Strindberg, August, "De lycksaliges ö: Nionde kapitlet", Svenska öden och äfventyr, page 382:

     "Han skrev först en avhandling om Nödvändigheten av Knapparnes Studium ur Vetenskaplig synpunkt. Därpå gick han in till Skattkammaren med en inlaga anhållande om en Professorsplats i Knappologien, samt två amanuensplatser."

     First, he wrote a dissertation about the Necessity to Study Buttons from a Scientific point of view. After that, he went to the Treasury with a plea requesting the Title of Professor in the field of Knappologi, and also two amanuensis positions.

• Finnish: knoppologia

• knappolog

• knapp