See also: kè-e̍k and Keek

English edit

Etymology edit

From Middle English kyken, kiken, keken (to look, peep), probably from Middle Dutch kiken, kieken or Middle Low German kîken (to look, peep), from Old Saxon *kīkan (to look), from Proto-West Germanic *kīkan, from Proto-Germanic *kīkaną (to look).

Cognate with Dutch kijken (to look), German Low German kieken (to look), Estonian kiikama (to look, to peek), German kucken, gucken (to look), Danish kigge, kikke (to look, peep), Swedish kika (to peep, peek, keek, pry), Icelandic kíkja (to look, check). Perhaps related to kick.

The words peek, keek and peep were used more or less synonymously in the 14th and 15th centuries.

Pronunciation edit

Verb edit

keek (third-person singular simple present keeks, present participle keeking, simple past and past participle keeked)

  1. (Scotland, intransitive) To peek; peep.
    • 2019 May 10, Moreen Simpson, “New arrivals proved big challenge in early days”, in Evening Express:
      She was laid in my arms. Not able to sit up, I just keeked at her beautiful facie.

Noun edit

keek (plural keeks)

  1. (Scotland) A look, especially a quick one; a peek.

See also edit

References edit

Basque edit

Noun edit

keek

  1. ergative plural of ke

Cornish edit

Adjective edit

keek

  1. hedged

References edit

Dutch edit

Pronunciation edit

Verb edit

keek

  1. singular past indicative of kijken

Anagrams edit

Scots edit

Etymology 1 edit

From Middle Scots keik (to peep), from Middle English kiken, from Middle Low German kiken, from Old Saxon kīkan, [1] ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *kīkan. Cognate with English keek.

Pronunciation edit

Verb edit

keek (third-person singular simple present keeks, present participle keekin, simple past keeked, past participle keeked)

  1. To have a quick look or peek.
  2. To tilt or lean back.
Related terms edit

Noun edit

keek (plural keeks)

  1. A quick look or peek.

Etymology 2 edit

Uncertain. Possibly from the verb, due to the difficulty to see sideways from the cap.[2]

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

keek (plural keeks)

  1. A cap made of linen worn around the head and neck.

References edit

  1. 1.0 1.1 keek, v., n.” in the Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries.
  2. 2.0 2.1 keek, n.” in the Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries.