kith
/kɪθ/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.36 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A person who is not related to a child but has social connections to the child's family, especially when considered as a caregiver or possible caregiver for the child.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Alack, would that Edward listened more to me and less to the queen’s kith! These Woodvilles!"
- "The demography-crossing thing that undergirds this election year, I think, is a strong, broad desire to punish Clinton and his kith with a denial of further power."
- "The Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto (the society) seeks an order finding the child in need of protection and placing him in the care and custody of a kith, H.O., for a period of six months, subject to terms of supervision by the society. [Footnote:] ‘[K]ith’ refers to a community member such as a family friend or neighbour who agrees to provide care to a child until the child can safely return home."
Etymology
From Middle English kitthe (“kinsmen, relations”), from Old English cȳþþ, cȳþþu (“kinship, kinsfolk, relations”), from Proto-Germanic *kunþiþō (“knowledge, acquaintance”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (“to know”). Cognate with Old High German kundida (“kith”), kundī (“knowledge”), Gothic 𐌺𐌿𐌽𐌸𐌹 (kunþi, “knowledge”). More at couth, -th.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: kitthe, cȳþþ, *kunþiþō, *ǵneh₃-