Jeck

See also: jeck

German

Etymology

Nominalisation of the adjective jeck (“crazy”). The word is the same as Geck (“dandy”) and is a Central Franconian (Ripuarian) form of it. Cognate to Dutch gek (“crazy”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /jɛk/
  • Audio:(file)

Noun

Jeck m (weak or mixed, genitive Jecken or (nonstandard but common) Jecks, plural Jecken)

  1. (regional) carnival reveler (participant in a carnival event or party)
    Die Jecken ziehen wieder durch die Straßen.
    Carnival revelers are parading through the streets again.
  2. (regional, colloquial, in the Rhineland) madman, fool
    Den Jeck kann doch keiner mehr ernstnehmen.
    That madman can't be taken seriously by anyone anymore.

Usage notes

Sense 1 is now commonly seen in standard usage even beyond the Rhineland. The more original sense 2 remains dialectal.

Declension

Declension of Jeck [masculine, weak // mixed]
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein der Jeck die Jecken
genitive eines des Jecken, Jecks1 der Jecken
dative einem dem Jecken, Jeck1 den Jecken
accusative einen den Jecken, Jeck1 die Jecken

1Nonstandard but common.

Synonyms

Further reading

  • “Jeck” in Duden online
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