keff

Maltese

Root
k-f-f
3 terms

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɛf/
• Rhymes: -ɛf

Etymology 1

From Arabic كَفّ (kaff).

Noun

keff m (plural kfief or kfuf or keffejn)

1. (usually in the construction keff tal-id) palm of the hand; or the inner part of the hand (including the fingers)

   Synonym: pala

Noun

keff m (plural kfief or kefef or keffejn)

1. hem of a garment
2. scalepan

Alternative forms

• keffa

Etymology 2

From Arabic كَفَّ (kaffa).

Verb

keff (imperfect jkeff, past participle mikfuf, verbal noun keff)

1. to hem

Conjugation

Conjugation of keff (Form I)

positive forms
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
perfect	m	keffejt	keffejt	keff	keffejna	keffejtu	keffew
	f			keffet
imperfect	m	nkeff	tkeff	jkeff	nkeffu	tkeffu	jkeffu
	f			tkeff
imperative			keff			keffu
negative forms
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
perfect	m	keffejtx	keffejtx	keffx	keffejniex	keffejtux	keffewx
	f			keffitx
imperfect	m	nkeffx	tkeffx	jkeffx	nkeffux	tkeffux	jkeffux
	f			tkeffx
imperative			tkeffx			tkeffux

Etymology 3

From Arabic كَفّ (kaff).

Noun

keff m (instance noun keffa)

1. verbal noun of keff: hemming

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic كف (“good, pleasant, fun”). The transfer to Swedish meant that the word came to have the opposite meaning.

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Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɛf/

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

keff (comparative keffare, superlative keffast)

1. (slang) bad

   Din musiksmak är keff.

   Your taste in music is bad.

Usage notes

• Sometimes also treated as an indeclinable adjective, i.e. det är keff as opposed to det är kefft.

Declension

Inflection of keff

Indefinite	positive	comparative	superlative1
common singular	keff	keffare	keffast
neuter singular	kefft	keffare	keffast
plural	keffa	keffare	keffast
masculine plural2	keffe	keffare	keffast
Definite	positive	comparative	superlative
masculine singular3	keffe	keffare	keffaste
all	keffa	keffare	keffaste

¹ The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative.
² Dated or archaic.
³ Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.

References

• keff in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• keff in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• “Vad betyder keff?”, in Frågelådan, Swedish Language Council, 18 November 2019 (last accessed)

Tarifit

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

Verb

keff (Tifinagh spelling ⴽⴻⴼⴼ)

1. (intransitive) to fart

Conjugation

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Derived terms

• Causative: skuffef (“to fart”)
• akeffif (“fart”)