Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “ge-” come from?

ge- (German) comes from Middle High German ge-, from Old High German ga-, from Proto-West Germanic ga-, from Proto-Germanic ga-, from Proto-Indo-European ḱóm, from Proto-Indo-European ḱe, from Middle English kyt, from German kitt — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

ge- (German): Forms collective nouns, almost always neuter...

Definitions

  1. Forms collective nouns, almost always neuter...

Ancestry of “ge-”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germange-—
2Old High Germanga-with
3Proto-West Germanicga-used as an intensifier for verbs, indicating...
4Proto-Germanicga-Indicates association or togetherness; co-;...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
7Middle Englishkyt—
8Germankitt—
9Old High Germankuti—
10Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
11Proto-Germanickweduzresin
12Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
13Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “ge-”

  • Sprachgefühl
  • gemeinschaftsgefuhl
  • Küstengewässer
  • gebirgig
  • Gewerkschaftler
  • gefühlvoll
  • Schulgebrauch
  • Fingerspitzengefühl
  • Gefühl
  • gepunktet
  • Geschwafel
  • Mitgefühl
  • gebuckelt
  • meistgebraucht
  • gebraucht
  • geartet
  • Geständnis
  • Gefrierbrand
  • Gehirnwäsche
  • gelinde
  • gewalmt
  • gegiebelt
  • Gesträuch
  • Rabengekrächze
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →