kalle

See also: Kalle

Central Franconian

Etymology

From Middle High German kallen, from Old High German kallōn, northern variant of challōn, from Proto-West Germanic *kalʀōn, from Proto-Germanic *kalzōną. Compare Limburgish kalle, Dutch kallen, English call, Old Norse kalla.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkalə/
• (Kirchröadsj) IPA^(key): /ˈkɑ.lə/

Verb

kalle (third-person singular present kallt or kalt, past tense kallte or kallet, past participle jekallt or jekald)

1. (chiefly Ripuarian, including Kirchröadsj) to speak; to talk; to chat

   Mer kalle, wie us de Schnüss jewahßen es.

   We speak the way our mouths have grown (i.e. in our native dialect).

2. (Kirchröadsj, obsolete) to call
3. (Kirchröadsj, obsolete) to give a name to

Usage notes

• The forms kallt, jekallt are Ripuarian; kalt, jekald are exclusively Kirchröadsj.
• The present participle forms are restricted to Kirchröadsj.

Synonyms

• moele (Kirchröadsj)
• sprääche (now often preferred under standard German influence)

Derived terms

• (Kirchröadsj) aafkalle
• bekalle
• (Kirchröadsj) droeskalle
• mitkalle
• (Kirchröadsj) oeskalle
• umkalle
• verkalle
• (Kirchröadsj) vuurkalle

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɑlə/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: kal‧le
• Rhymes: -ɑlə

Etymology 1

From Yiddish כּלה (kale, “bride”), from Hebrew כַּלָּה (kalá, “bride”). A relation with the verb kallen (“to chatter”, compare etymology 2 hereunder), claimed in some popular-scientific resources, exists at most through secondary association. Compare German Kalle.

Noun

kalle f (plural kalles or kallen, diminutive kalletje n)

1. (Bargoens, dated slang) girl; lover; whore

Etymology 2

Verb

kalle

1. (dated or formal) singular present subjunctive of kallen

Elfdalian

Noun

kalle

1. indefinite dative singular of kall

Finnish

Etymology

kallas +‎ -e

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɑlːeˣ/, [ˈkɑ̝lːe̞(ʔ)]
• Rhymes: -ɑlːe
• Syllabification^(key): kal‧le
• Hyphenation^(key): kal‧le

Noun

kalle

1. (dialectal) hillside

   Synonym: rinne

Declension

Inflection of kalle (Kotus type 48*I/hame, lt–ll gradation)
nominative		kalle	kalteet
genitive		kalteen	kalteiden kalteitten
partitive		kalletta	kalteita
illative		kalteeseen	kalteisiin kalteihin
		singular	plural
nominative		kalle	kalteet
accusative	nom.	kalle	kalteet
	gen.	kalteen
genitive		kalteen	kalteiden kalteitten
partitive		kalletta	kalteita
inessive		kalteessa	kalteissa
elative		kalteesta	kalteista
illative		kalteeseen	kalteisiin kalteihin
adessive		kalteella	kalteilla
ablative		kalteelta	kalteilta
allative		kalteelle	kalteille
essive		kalteena	kalteina
translative		kalteeksi	kalteiksi
abessive		kalteetta	kalteitta
instructive		—	kaltein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of kalle (Kotus type 48*I/hame, lt–ll gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative kalteeni kalteeni accusative nom. kalteeni kalteeni gen. kalteeni genitive kalteeni kalteideni kalteitteni partitive kallettani kalteitani inessive kalteessani kalteissani elative kalteestani kalteistani illative kalteeseeni kalteisiini kalteihini adessive kalteellani kalteillani ablative kalteeltani kalteiltani allative kalteelleni kalteilleni essive kalteenani kalteinani translative kalteekseni kalteikseni abessive kalteettani kalteittani instructive — — comitative — kalteineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative kalteesi kalteesi accusative nom. kalteesi kalteesi gen. kalteesi genitive kalteesi kalteidesi kalteittesi partitive kallettasi kalteitasi inessive kalteessasi kalteissasi elative kalteestasi kalteistasi illative kalteeseesi kalteisiisi kalteihisi adessive kalteellasi kalteillasi ablative kalteeltasi kalteiltasi allative kalteellesi kalteillesi essive kalteenasi kalteinasi translative kalteeksesi kalteiksesi abessive kalteettasi kalteittasi instructive — — comitative — kalteinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative kalteemme kalteemme accusative nom. kalteemme kalteemme gen. kalteemme genitive kalteemme kalteidemme kalteittemme partitive kallettamme kalteitamme inessive kalteessamme kalteissamme elative kalteestamme kalteistamme illative kalteeseemme kalteisiimme kalteihimme adessive kalteellamme kalteillamme ablative kalteeltamme kalteiltamme allative kalteellemme kalteillemme essive kalteenamme kalteinamme translative kalteeksemme kalteiksemme abessive kalteettamme kalteittamme instructive — — comitative — kalteinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative kalteenne kalteenne accusative nom. kalteenne kalteenne gen. kalteenne genitive kalteenne kalteidenne kalteittenne partitive kallettanne kalteitanne inessive kalteessanne kalteissanne elative kalteestanne kalteistanne illative kalteeseenne kalteisiinne kalteihinne adessive kalteellanne kalteillanne ablative kalteeltanne kalteiltanne allative kalteellenne kalteillenne essive kalteenanne kalteinanne translative kalteeksenne kalteiksenne abessive kalteettanne kalteittanne instructive — — comitative — kalteinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative kalteensa kalteensa accusative nom. kalteensa kalteensa gen. kalteensa genitive kalteensa kalteidensa kalteittensa partitive kallettaan kallettansa kalteitaan kalteitansa inessive kalteessaan kalteessansa kalteissaan kalteissansa elative kalteestaan kalteestansa kalteistaan kalteistansa illative kalteeseensa kalteisiinsa kalteihinsa adessive kalteellaan kalteellansa kalteillaan kalteillansa ablative kalteeltaan kalteeltansa kalteiltaan kalteiltansa allative kalteelleen kalteellensa kalteilleen kalteillensa essive kalteenaan kalteenansa kalteinaan kalteinansa translative kalteekseen kalteeksensa kalteikseen kalteiksensa abessive kalteettaan kalteettansa kalteittaan kalteittansa instructive — — comitative — kalteineen kalteinensa

Further reading

• “kalle”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 14 May 2026

Limburgish

Etymology

From Middle Dutch callen, from Old Dutch *kallon, from Proto-West Germanic *kalʀōn, from Proto-Germanic *kalzōną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɑ.lə/
• IPA^(key): /ˈka.lə/
• Homophone: Kalle
• Hyphenation: kal‧le
• Rhymes: -ɑlə, -alə

Verb

kalle

1. (widespread variant) to talk, to speak, to chat
2. (widespread variant, obsolete) to call
3. (widespread variant, obsolete) to give a name to

Conjugation

Montfortian conjugation of kalle (first conjugation)

non-finite forms	infinitive	gerund	present participle	past participle	adjective	adverb
	(tö) kalle	't kalle n	kallendj	höbbe gekal	gekaldje, gekaldjer, gekaldjes	gekaldj, gekaldjelik
number & tense	verb-second order			verb-first order
	present	past	subjunctive	present	past	subjunctive
first person singular	kal	kaldje	kalle	kal	kaldje-n	kalle-n
second person singular	kals	kaldjes	kalle	kals	kaldjes	kaller
third person singular	kaltj	kaldje	kalle	kaltj'r	kaldje	kaller
first person plural	kalle	kaldje	kalle	kaltj	kaldje	kalle
second person plural	kaltj	kaldje	kalle	kaltj	kaldje	kalletj
third person plural	kalle	kaldje	kalle	kalle	kaldje	kaller
other forms	noun	imperative singular impolite	imperative singular polite	imperative dual	imperative plural	inclusive
	't gekal n	kal!	kaltj!	kaltj, kalletj!	kaltj!	kallem

Related terms

• Kalle (“conversation”)

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse kalla.

Verb

kalle (imperative kall, present tense kaller, passive kalles, simple past kalte, past participle kalt, present participle kallende)

1. to call, name (give a name to)
2. to call, shout
3. to call somebody / something (e.g. a dog)

Derived terms

• kallesignal
• oppkalle
• påkalle
• sammenkalle
• såkalt
• tilbakekalle
• tilkalle

References

• “kalle” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Verb

kalle (present tense kallar, past tense kalla, past participle kalla, passive infinitive kallast, present participle kallande, imperative kalle/kall)

1. alternative form of kalla

Swedish

Adjective

kalle

1. definite natural masculine singular of kall

West Flemish

Etymology

Probably from Yiddish כּלה (kale, “bride”), from Hebrew כַּלָּה (kalá, “bride”), whence at any rate German Kalle and Dutch kalle, both “girl, lover, whore”.

Noun

kalle f

1. despicable or disagreeable person, typically a woman
2. stupid person

Synonyms

• zurkeltrutte
• gesgjitte
• seute