ge-

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ge"

Afrikaans

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /χə/

Etymology 1

Inherited from Dutch ge-, from Middle Dutch ge-, ghe-, from Old Dutch gi-, ge-, from Proto-Germanic *ga-, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm.

Prefix

ge-

1. Used to form the past participle

   Ek het die koek geëet — I have eaten the cake.

Usage notes

• The participle prefix ge- is not used before the verbal prefixes be-, er-, ver-, ont- and her-, nor with inseparable prefixed adverbs or prepositions, except in a few exceptional cases or very colloquial speech.
• For verbs with the stressed suffix -eer, the participle prefix may be omitted optionally. This is common in disyllabic verbs, less so in longer verbs (because these latter have a secondary stress on the first syllable). Even in disyllabic verbs the prefix is seldom omitted in attributive past participles, however.
• Other cases of an apparently missing ge- arise when the active of the perfect tense is formed with the infinitive instead of the past participle. This is the case when two verbs are connected to each other without om te, as in hy het leer lees (“he learned to read”). When two verbs describing a simultaneous action are connected with en (“and”), the first verb may be in the participle or the infinitive, whereas the second is always in the infinitive: sy het (ge)lê en lees (“she lay reading”), ons het (ge)loop en sing (“we walked singing”).

Etymology 2

Inherited from Dutch ge-, from Middle Dutch ge-.

Prefix

ge-

1. Used with a verb stem to create an uncountable noun referring to an action or its result, seen as a single collective whole.

Usage notes

• The deverbal prefix ge- is not used before the verbal prefixes be-, er-, ver-, ont- and her-, nor with inseparable prefixed adverbs or prepositions, except in a few exceptional cases or very colloquial speech.

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɣə/
• (Netherlands) IPA^(key): [χə], [xə], [ɣə]
• (Belgium) IPA^(key): [ʝə], [xə]

Etymology 1

Inherited from Middle Dutch ge-, ghe-, from Old Dutch gi-, ge-, from Proto-West Germanic *ga-, from Proto-Germanic *ga-, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm.

Cognate with German Low German ge-, Dutch Low Saxon ge-, German ge-, Old English ġe- (obsolete English y-, i-, a-), Gothic 𐌲𐌰- (ga-).

Prefix

ge-

1. Used for forming the past participle.
3. (obsolete, no longer productive) Forms perfective verbs from other verbs with a sense of completeness, or simply as an intensifier.

Usage notes

• The participle prefix ge- is not used before the verbal prefixes be-, er-, ver-, ont- and her-, nor with inseparable prefixed adverbs or prepositions.

Derived terms

Category Dutch terms prefixed with ge- (perfective) not found

Etymology 2

From the prefix above with an 'empty' suffix originating from Old Dutch *-i, from Proto-Germanic *-ją.

Prefix

ge-

1. Used with a verb stem to create a neuter uncountable noun referring to an action or its result, seen as a single collective whole. Comparable to English -ing (although that forms countable nouns, as it does in Dutch).

Usage notes

• The deverbal prefix ge- is not used before the verbal prefixes be-, er-, ver-, ont- and her-, nor with inseparable prefixed adverbs or prepositions.
• Sometimes, especially in older formations, shows the effect of ablaut, as in gelag (from liggen).

Derived terms

Dutch terms prefixed with ge- (action noun)

Etymology 3

Prefix

ge-

1. See ge- -te.

See also

Dutch terms prefixed with ge-

Esperanto

Etymology

Derived from German ge-. The German prefix is used to form collective nouns, but generally has nothing to do with gender. However, there is one word in which the force of German ge- is very similar to that in Esperanto, namely Geschwister, a plurale tantum derived from Schwester (“sister”) but meaning “siblings of either sex”. The Esperanto use might be based chiefly on this word.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Prefix

ge-

1. (plural only) used with a plural (gendered) noun to indicate multiple genders together

   ‎ge- + ‎patro (“father”) → ‎gepatroj (“mother(s) and father(s)”)

   ‎ge- + ‎frato (“brother”) → ‎gefratoj (“sister(s) and brother(s)”)

   ‎ge- + ‎nepo (“grandson”) → ‎genepoj (“granddaughter(s) and grandson(s)”)

   ‎ge- + ‎avo (“grandfather”) → ‎geavoj (“grandmother(s) and grandfather(s)”)

2. (unoffically, by extension) used with a gendered noun to indicate unspecified gender

   patro (“father”) → gepatroj (“parents”) → gepatro (“a parent”)

   frato (“brother”) → gefratoj (“siblings”) → gefrato (“a sibling”)

   nepo (“grandson”)→ genepoj (“grandchildren”) → genepo (“a grandchild”)

   avo (“grandfather”) → geavoj (“grandparents”) → geavo (“a grandparent”)

3. (unoffically, by extension, often humorous) with or among mixed genders

   lernejo (“school”) → gelernejo (“co-educational school”)

   ĝui (“enjoy”) → geĝui (“to have fun (in a mixed-gender group); to have (heterosexual) sex”) (jocular)

Derived terms

Esperanto terms prefixed with ge-

• gea
• geumi

Garo

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Classifier

ge-

1. classifier for any object which does not have a special classifer for itself

German

Etymology

Inherited from Middle High German ge-, from Old High German ga-, gi-, from Proto-West Germanic *ga-, from Proto-Germanic *ga-, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm.

Cognate with Low German ge-, e-, je- (Ermländisch), Yiddish גע־ (ge-), Dutch ge-, Old English ġe- (obsolete English y-, i-, a-), Gothic 𐌲𐌰- (ga-).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡə/, (standard) [ɡə], (Austria, southern Germany) [ɡ̊e]

  • Audio:

    (file)

• Dialectal forms which are often retained also in standard-near colloquial:
  • IPA^(key): /jə/ (northern Rhineland, south-eastern Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg, Berlin)
  • IPA^(key): /ɡ/, [ɡ̊] (Austria, southern Germany)

Prefix

ge-

1. Forms collective nouns, almost always neuter gender. Whenever possible, the root vowel is modified as well.

   ‎ge- + ‎Ader (“vein”) → ‎Geäder (“veins collectively”)

   ‎ge- + ‎Ast (“branch”) → ‎Geäst (“all the branches of a tree”)

   ‎ge- + ‎Berg (“mountain”) → ‎Gebirge (“mountain range”)

   ‎ge- + ‎Busch (“bush”) → ‎Gebüsch (“brush”)

   ‎ge- + ‎Rippe (“rib”) → ‎Gerippe (“skeleton”)

   ‎ge- + ‎Stein (“stone”) → ‎Gestein (“rock”)

   ‎ge- + ‎Strauch (“bush, shrub”) → ‎Gesträuch (“shrubbery”)

   ‎ge- + ‎Wasser (“water”) → ‎Gewässer (“body of water”)

   ‎ge- + ‎Wolke (“cloud”) → ‎Gewölk (“cloud formation”) (modern: Wolkenformation)

2. Forms action nouns, usually with a sense of repetition or continuation. All of these nouns are neuter and have no plural.

   ‎ge- + ‎ächzen (“groan (verb)”) → ‎Geächze (“groan (noun)”)

   ‎ge- + ‎heulen (“to cry like a wolf”) → ‎Geheule (“the howl of a wolf”)

   ‎ge- + ‎reden (“talk”) → ‎Gerede (“chatter”)

   ‎ge- + ‎seufzen (“sigh (verb)”) → ‎Geseufze (“sigh (noun)”)

3. Forms nomina rei actae, verbal nouns that refer to the result of an action, always of neuter gender.

   ‎ge- + ‎schenken (“to gift”) → ‎Geschenk (“gift”)

   ‎ge- + ‎legen (“to lay”) → ‎Gelege (“clutch of eggs”)

   ‎ge- + ‎prägen (“to stamp a coin”) → ‎Gepräge (“the pattern on a coin”)

4. Forms past participles in combination with a suffix -en or -(e)t. Nouns are frequently made from the past participle.

   ‎ge- + ‎schlafen (“to sleep”) → ‎geschlafen (“slept”)

   ‎ge- + ‎denken (“to think”) → ‎gedacht (“thought”)

   ‎ge- + ‎retten (“to rescue, save”) → ‎gerettet (“rescued, saved”)

5. Forms verbs with terminative aktionsart. This is hardly productive after Early New High German and outside of dialects.

   ‎ge- + ‎leiten (“to lead”) → ‎geleiten (“to escort”)

   ‎ge- + ‎nießen (“to use”) → ‎genießen (“to enjoy”)

   ‎ge- + ‎Middle High German bëren (“to bear, carry”) → ‎gebären (“to give birth”)

   ‎ge- + ‎langen (“to reach for”) → ‎gelangen (“to achieve”)

6. Indicates association or togetherness; co-.

   ‎ge- + ‎Brüder (“brothers”) → ‎Gebrüder (“Brothers”) For example, Gebrüder Grimm, the Brothers Grimm.

   ‎ge- + ‎Fahrt (“journey”) → ‎Gefährte (“fellow-travellers”)

Synonyms

(past participle):

• ge- -en (different analysis or view)
• ge- -t (different analysis or view)
• -t (for verbs not stressed on the very first syllable)

Derived terms

German terms prefixed with ge-

Further reading

• J. C. Adelung (1796) “ge-”, in Grammatisch-kritisches Wörterbuch der Hochdeutschen Mundart (in German), 2nd edition, volume 2, page 439

• Jörg Meibauer, Ulrike Demske, Jochen Geilfuß-Wolfgang, Jürgen Pafel, Karl Heinz Ramers, Monika Rothweiler and Markus Steinbach, Einführung in die germanistische Linguistik, 2nd edition, 2007, p. 32: "[..] Zirkumfixe [...] ge...t bei schwachen Verben und ge...en bei starken Verben (z. B. gespielt, gelaufen)"
• Michael Schäfer and Werner Schäfke, Sprachwissenschaft für Skandinavisten: Eine Einführung, Narr Verlag, 2014, p. 110: "Zirkumfix-Ableitungen [...]:   [..] dt. spiel-en > ge-spiel-t   Das lexikalische Morphem {spiel} wird hier umschlossen vom Zirkumfix {ge- -t}, um das Partizip der Vergangenheit zu bilden."

Ido

Etymology

Derived from Esperanto ge-, from German ge-.

Prefix

ge-

1. prefix used with the plural to indicate both sexes together

   avi (“grandparents, grandfathers and/or grandmothers”) → geavi (“grandfathers and grandmothers”)

Derived terms

Ido terms prefixed with ge-

Limburgish

Etymology

From earlier gè-, from Middle Dutch ge-, ghe-, from Old Dutch gi-, ge-, from Proto-Germanic *ga-, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm. Cognate with Old Saxon gi- (Low German e-, ge-), Dutch ge-, Old English ġe-, Gothic 𐌲𐌰- (ga-).

Prefix

ge-

1. When used in combination with the suffix -dje, forms neuter collective nouns.
2. When attached to verbal nouns, forms nouns denoting repetition or continuation. All of these nouns are neuter and have no plural. For example: kalle/gekal.
3. Forms past participles of verbs: wèrke/gewèrk.
4. Used as an intensifier for verbs. wèrke/gewèrke.

Ojibwe

Preverb

ge-

1. form of da- or daa- used in the changed conjunct order

References

• The Ojibwe People's Dictionary https://ojibwe.lib.umn.edu/main-entry/ge-pv-tns

Old English

Alternative forms

• i- — Late West Saxon
• gæ- — Anglian
• gi- — Northumbrian
• ie- — Kentish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *ḱe-?

Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm

Proto-Germanic *ga-

Proto-West Germanic *ga-

Old English ge-

Inherited from Proto-West Germanic *ga-, from Proto-Germanic *ga-, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm. Cognate with Latin cum (“with”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /je/

Prefix

ġe-

1. used as an intensifier for verbs, indicating completeness or perfection
2. forms nouns or adjectives of association or similarity; co-
3. forms nouns and verbs with the sense of "result" or "process"
4. forms past participles or participle adjectives from verbs

Usage notes

• This prefix was always unstressed, in both nouns and verbs.
• Although on paper this prefix has specific meanings, in practice it was used very inconsistently. On occasion, it may be fully optional and make no meaningful difference, and within that category, sometimes both the prefixed and unprefixed forms are common, and sometimes only one is common. Other times, two verbs have very distinct meanings with the only distinguisher being the prefix. Additionally, its precise definitions are rarely, but not never, clearly reflected in the definition. For example, and this list is far from exhaustive:
  • The verbs cweþan and ġecweþan feature no meaningful difference, and both forms are common.
  • The verbs cnawan and ġecnawan are the same in meaning between the prefixed and unprefixed forms, but in practice, the unprefixed form is almost non-existent in the extant corpus. Similarly, seon and ġeseon feature no meaningful differences, but seon is almost completely unattested in the prose corpus (though it is noticeably more common in poetry).
  • The verbs hieran and ġehieran differ only in the prefix, and while both can technically have the same meanings, in practice, hieran is mostly used to mean to obey, and ġehieran is mostly used to mean to hear.
  • The verbs stincan and ġestincan differ significantly in meaning, with the former meaning to give off an odor (often a bad one, like the modern descendant stink), and the latter meaning to sense things using one's sense of smell, reflecting the third definition.
  • The noun ġeþeode invariably always has the prefix, with an unprefixed form unattested. Likewise, ġedwimor is almost invariably attested with the prefix, with the unprefixed form occurring exactly once with the same meaning. Notice also that most uses of the prefix thus far do not clearly reflect any of the above four definitions.
  • Some adjectives like ġecealf and ġeean, which mean "pregnant with a calf" and "pregnant with a lamb" respectively, reflect the second definition. The second definition can also be seen in the plurals of broþor and sweostor — ġebroþor and ġesweostor (and various alternate forms), respectively — though usage of the prefix is not consistent across dialects or eras.
  • The prefix was almost always found on past participles in prose, but in poetry it was occasionally left off, mainly for metrical reasons. Verbs with any prefix other than ġe- will not take the prefix in the past participle.

Derived terms

Old English terms prefixed with ge-

Descendants

• Middle English: ȝe-, i-, y-
  • English: a-, y-, i- (obsolete)

Old Saxon

Prefix

ge-

1. Alternative form of gi-