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Definition 2024


-che

-che

Central Franconian

Alternative forms

  • -elche (see notes below)
  • -je (Ripuarian only; see notes below)

Suffix

-che (plural -cher)

  1. forms a diminutive noun
    de Stadt (“the town, city”) → et Städtche (“the little town”)

Usage notes

  • Generally, all diminutives nouns are neuter, but some dialects may still follow the older rule of treating diminutives according to the gender of the basic noun (as in Luxembourgish).
  • Nouns whose stem ends in a back consonant, namely -ch, -g, -k, -ng, or -sch, regularly use the extended suffix -elche: Bröck (“bridge”) → Bröggelche. However, in Ripuarian an etymological distinction is usually followed, according to which the extended suffix follows only original back consonants but not ones that derive from Old High German (OHG) alveolars; hence: Weng (wine) from OHG wīnWengche (not *Wengelche); Wursch (sausage) from OHG wurstWürschje (not *Würschelche).
  • After -f, -s, -ß, -v, and -sch (if applicable), the suffix -che becomes -je in Ripuarian, but not in Moselle Franconian; hence: Foß (foot) → Ripurian Fößje, Moselle Franconian Feeßche.