ker-

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ker"

English

Alternative forms

• ka-, ca-, ke-, cha-

Etymology

Now stands in for a thud. Originally Scots, possibly continuing Scottish Gaelic car (“somewhat”), cognate with Irish cor, English char, Dutch keer (“time, turn, occasion”), German Kehre (“turn, bight, bend”), Greek γύρος (gýros, “bout, whirl”), gyre. Early uses were often collocated with went.

Prefix

ker-

1. (often humorous) Used to form various onomatopoeias imitating the effect or sound of a heavy object falling.

   [The book] has suspense, pathos, bravery, and the bad guys get it in the end with a big KERWHAM! [2]

Derived terms

English terms prefixed with ker-

Anagrams

• RKE, erk