ker-

an unstressed syllable prefixed to onomatopoeic and other expressive words, usually forming adverbs or interjections:

kerflop; kerplunk; ker-splosh.

Also, ca-, ka-.

Origin

perhaps < Scots dialect car-, cur-, currie- (as in carfuffle, carwhuffle to disarrange, carnaptious irritable, curriebuction a confused gathering, etc.), based on car, earlier ker left (hand or side) < Scots Gaelic cearr wrong, awkward, left-handed (compare MIr cerr crooked, maimed); variants without r probably reflect forms in r-less dialects

Word Origin and History for ker-

U.S. slang prefix, by 1836 as che-, 1843 as ker-, possibly from influence of German or Dutch ge-, past participial prefix; or ultimately echoic of the sound of the fall of some heavy body.

Slang definitions & phrases for ker-

ker-

prefix

A particle that intensifies echoic terms for blows, splashings, hard efforts, etc: kerbang/ kerblam/ kerplunk/ kerslosh/ kerwallop (1840s+)