-keit

German

Etymology

Result of a 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 standard 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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaɪ̯t/, [kaɪ̯t]

• Audio:

  (file)

Suffix

-keit f (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.

Derived terms

German terms suffixed with -keit