An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/ge-

by Friedrich Kluge

ge-, a proclitic prefix, from MidHG. ge-, OHG. gi, ga- (an accented prefix ga- in noun compounds is very rare in OHG. and MidHG.); the prim. idea is ‘collectivity, completeness’; comp. Goth. ga-, AS. ge- (in E. i only in handiwork, handicraft, AS. hondgeweorc, hondgecrœft; comp. also E. enough, from AS. genôh, under genug). The prefix is probably allied to Lat. con-; cum; comp. gehen, glauben, gleich, Glied, &c.