ge-

See also Appendix:Variations of "ge"

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch ge-.

Prefix

ge-

1. used to form the past participle

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

Derived terms

• gemeente (community)
• gedeelte (part (of))
• geraamte (skeleton)
• gedeel (division)

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Dutch

Pronunciation

• (Standard Dutch) IPA: /ɣə/
• (Netherlands) IPA: [ɣə], [χə], [xə]
• (Belgium) IPA: [ʝə], [xə]

Etymology 1

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

Prefix

ge-

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

Etymology 2

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

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).

Derived terms

• gedoe
• geloop
• gezeur

Etymology 3

From the prefix above, but with the empty suffix replaced with -te.

Prefix

ge-

1. Used in combination with the suffix -te to make a neuter uncountable noun which refers to a collection of objects, each one of which is an instance of the original noun (the stem).

Derived terms

• gebeente
• gebergte
• geboomte
• gedeelte
• gesteente

See also

[+] Dutch words prefixed with ge-

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Esperanto

Etymology

From German ge- for neuter collective nouns.

Prefix

ge-

1. (plural only) used with a plural (gendered) noun to indicate both sexes together

   • patro (“father”) → gepatroj (“mother(s) and father(s)”)
   • frato (“brother”) → gefratoj (“sister(s) and brother(s)”)
   • reĝo (“king”) → gereĝoj (“queen(s) and king(s)”)

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

   • patro (“father”) → gepatro (“a parent”) → gepatroj (“parents”)
   • frato (“brother”) → gefrato (“a sibling”) → gefratoj (“siblings”)
   • reĝo (“king”) → gereĝo (“monarch”) → gereĝoj (“monarchs”)

3. (slang, wordplay) used with a verb to indicate heterosexual activity

   • dormi (“to sleep”) → gedormi (“to sleep together (with a member of the opposite sex)”)

Derived terms

[+] Esperanto words prefixed with ge-

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German

Etymology

From Old High German ga-, gi-, from Proto-Germanic *ga-, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm. Cognate with Low German ge-, e-, Dutch ge-, Old English ġe- (obsolete English y-, i-, a-), Gothic 𐌲𐌰- (ga-).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɡə/

Prefix

ge-

1. Forms collective nouns, almost always neuter gender. Whenever possible, the root vowel is modified as well: Ader/Geäder, Ast/Geäst, Berg/Gebirge, Busch/Gebüsch, Rippe/Gerippe, Stein/Gestein, Strauch/Gesträuch, Wasser/Gewässer, Wolke/Gewölk.
2. With verbal nouns, it denotes repetition or continuation. All of these nouns are neuter and have no plural. For example: ächzen/Geächze, heulen/Geheul, reden/Gerede, seufzen/Geseufze.

Prefix

ge-

1. Forms past participles of some irregular verbs: essen/gegessen, sehen/gesehen, sprechen/gesprochen. Nouns are frequently made from the past participle.

Synonyms

• ge- -t (for regular verbs and some irregular verbs)
• -t (for verbs with an unstressed prefix)

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Ido

Prefix

ge-

1. used with the plural to indicate both sexes together

Derived terms

• gefilii

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Limburgish

Etymology

Older Limburgish gè-, from Proto-Germanic *ga-. Cognate with Old Saxon gi- (Saxon/Low German e-, ge-), Dutch ge-, Old English ge-, Gothic 𐌲𐌰- (ga-).

Prefix

ge-

1. When used in combination with the suffix -dje it creates a neuter noun which refers to a collection of objects, each one of which is an instance of the original noun (the stem) stein/gesteindje.
2. With verbal nouns, it denotes 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 of verbs. wèrke/gewèrke.

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Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *ga-, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm. Cognate with Old Frisian ge-, e-, Old Saxon gi-, ge- (Saxon/Low German e-, ge-), Old Dutch gi-, ge- (Dutch ge-), Old High German ga-, gi- (German ge-), Gothic 𐌲𐌰- (ga-).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /je/, /jə/

Prefix

ġe-

1. as an intensifier of verbs
2. forming nouns or adjectives of association or similarity
3. forming nouns and verbs with the sense of ‘result’ or ‘process’
4. forming past participles or participle adjectives from verbs

Descendants

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

Derived terms

[+] Old English words prefixed with ge-

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Old Saxon

Prefix

ge-

1. Alternative form of gi-.