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

Dutch

Pronunciation

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

Derived terms

• gedoe
• geloop
• gezeur

Etymology 3

Prefix

ge-

1. See ge- -te.

See also

Esperanto

Etymology

From the German prefix ge- found in many 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

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^(key): /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/Geheule/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)

Ido

Etymology

From Esperanto ge-, from German ge-.

Prefix

ge-

1. (suffix used with the plural to indicate both sexes together)

   avi ‎(“grandfathers or grandmothers”) → geavi ‎(“grandfathers and grandmothers”)

Derived terms

Limburgish

Etymology

Older Limburgish gè-, from Proto-Germanic *ga-. Cognate with Old Saxon gi- (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.

Old English

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- (etymology 3), y-, i- (obsolete)

Derived terms

Old Saxon

Prefix

ge-

1. Alternative form of gi-