-ke

• -ken

From earlier -ken, from Middle Dutch -ken, -kin, -kijn, apparently representing Proto-Germanic *-ukīną, a double diminutive, from *-ukaz. The standard Dutch -tje and its variants are derived from -ke(n) through palatalization. Cognate with German -chen, Low German -ken, English -kin, -ock.

• Audio

  (file)

-ke n (plural -kes)

1. Appended to a noun, making it diminutive.

• -kene

-ke (genitive -kese, partitive -kest)

1. A noun suffix that builds diminutives from nouns.

• kivi (stone) → kivike (a small stone)

Diminutives can be stacked, yielding -kene, -keseke, -kesekene. The longer forms are rarely used.

• -kka +‎ -e

• IPA^(key): /-keˣ/

-ke

1. Forms diminutive forms of nouns.

   aalto (“wave”) → aalloke (“wavelet”)

   siipi (“wing”) → siiveke (“aileron”)

   lause (“sentence”) → lauseke (“expression; phrase”)

2. Forms nouns from verbs, often to describe the result of an action.

   elää (“to live”) → eläke (“pension”)

   seisahtaa (“to come to a standstill”) → seisake (“railway stop”)

3. (rare) Forms nouns from adjectives.

   lämmin (“warm”) → lämmike (“something used to warm up”)

• -e
• -te

• § 257 ke-sanojen koostumus ja merkitys, Iso suomen kielioppi, 2004

• EK

• -ken (in other dialects)

Compare German -chen, Dutch -ke.

-ke (noun plural -kes)

1. (Low Prussian) Suffix used to form the diminutive of nouns and hypocoristic forms of proper nouns and other parts of speech.

   Brotke ― bread

   Anke ― Annie

   Gottke ― God

   kommke ― come (second-person singular present imperative, hypocoristic)

• Erhard Riemann (et al.), Preußisches Wörterbuch: deutsche Mundarten Ost- und Westpreußens (1974)
• A. Treichel, Dialectische Räthsel, Reime und Märchen aus dem Ermlande, in Altpreussische Monatsschrift neue Folge. Der Preussischen Provinzial-Blätter vierte Folge, volume 27 (1890), edited by Rudolf Reicke and Ernst Wichert, pp. 327–332; on p. 332:

  Aus Braunsberg wird mir noch gemeldet (Pfr. Preuschoff), daß dort und in der Umgegend die Verkleinerungs-Endsilbe -chen und -lein, erstere in -ke verplattdeutscht, überaus häufig und überall angehängt werden, wie z. B. Jacke! nêke! kommke! Ebenso an Personennamen. Man hört die Schulkinder ihren Gefährten also zurufen: Albrechtke, Ehmke, Eadmannke (Erdmannchen), Wulfke u. s. w.

• H. Frischbier, Preußisches Wörterbuch. Ost- und westpreussische Provinzialismen, volume 1, A–K (1882)
• H. Frischbier, Preußisches Wörterbuch. Ost- und westpreussische Provinzialismen, volume 2, L–Z (1883)

From Proto-Finno-Ugric. Compare Finnish -kka and Estonian -ke.

• IPA^(key): [kɛ]

-ke

1. (diminutive suffix) Added to a word to express smallness, youth, unimportance, or endearment. When added to present participles, it can also express the instrument or place of the action indicated in the base word.

   egy (“one”) → egyke (“only child”)

   egér (“mouse”) → egérke (“tiny mouse”)

   ül (“to sit”) → ülő (“sitting”) → ülőke (“seat, small seat”)

• (diminutive suffix) Harmonic variants:

  -ka is added to back vowel words

  -ke is added to front vowel words

• -cske
• Appendix:Hungarian suffixes

-ke

1. now
2. and so
3. then
4. very well

   Yeboke.

   Yes, very well.

The suffix is usually affixed to the first word of the sentence.

• C. M. Doke; B. W. Vilakazi (1972), “-ke”, in Zulu-English Dictionary, →ISBN: “-ke”