-keit

German

Etymology

Result of an etymologically wrong segmentation (rebracketing) of two suffixes in Upper German dialects of Middle High German: -ec (modern -ig) and -heit: -ec-heit was interpreted as -e-keit. Later this phenomenon spread to other suffixes, and even to Central German dialects, in which the equivalents of -ig had never been pronounced with a final [k]-sound. (Compare the modern German Standard German pronunciation of -ig [-ɪç].) However, in some northern dialects of Central German, like Ripuarian, -keit is still absent or has only recently been introduced from standard German. Compare Saterland Frisian -igaid.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaɪ̯t/, [kaɪ̯t] (Germany)
• IPA^(key): /kaɛ̯t/ (Austria)

• Audio:

  (file)

Suffix

-keit f (genitive -keit, plural -keiten)

1. Alternative form of -heit

   ‎wirksam (“effective”) + ‎-keit → ‎Wirksamkeit (“effectiveness”)

Usage notes

• See -heit for notes on the use of the two variants.

Declension

Declension of -keit [feminine]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	eine	die	-keit	die	-keiten
genitive	einer	der	-keit	der	-keiten
dative	einer	der	-keit	den	-keiten
accusative	eine	die	-keit	die	-keiten

Derived terms

German terms suffixed with -keit