keifen

Meaning

to rail or nag in a sharp voice (in such a way as, according to the stereotype, is typical of an enraged older woman)

Concepts

nag

jangle

bicker

badger

🦡

cry

😢

hoot

howl

salivate

scold

scream

😱

squeal

yell

bellow

caterwaul

complain

Synonyms

geifern

wettern

zetern

kreischen

schimpfen

schreien

quietschen

rufen

verkünden

sich zanken

anschnauzen

tschilpen

anschreien

brüllen

heulen

nörgeln

poltern

Dialects

Basel-Landschaft

kääre

Basel-Landschaft

keiffe

Basel-Landschaft

kiifle

Data provided by: Deutsch-Schweizerdeutsches Wörterbuch

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈkaɪ̯fən/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle High German: kīben

Inherited from Old High German: *kīban

Cognate with Bavarian: keppln

Cognate with Swiss German: kebbeln

Cognate with Dutch: kijven

In summary

From Middle High German kīben, from Old High German *kīban, from Proto-West Germanic *kīban (“to quarrel”).
The modern form with a fricative is of Low and West Central German origin; compare Middle Low German kīven. The original plosive is preserved in the Upper German iterative form kibbeln and keppeln, in Bavarian keppln, and in Alemannic German kebbeln. Cognate with Dutch kijven.