-еке

• -ке (-ke)

Possibly from Proto-Turkic *āka.

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

-еке • (-eke)

1. Forms diminutives for family members

   ‎әже (äje, “grandma”) + ‎-еке (-eke) → ‎әжеке (äjeke, “granny”)

2. Honorific suffix, attached to nouns or names.

   ‎Бақыт (Baqyt) + ‎-еке (-eke) → ‎Бәке (Bäke)

   ‎Есет (Eset) + ‎-еке (-eke) → ‎Есеке (Eseke)

   • 1896, Абай Құнанбайұлы [Abai Qunanbaiuly], Абайдың қара сөздері [Abaidyñ qara sözderı]:

     Сендер дүниеде қажеке, молдеке, сопеке, мырзеке, батыреке аталмақ үшін өнер қылып едіңдер, ол дүниең мұнда жоқ.

     Sender düniede qajeke, moldeke, sopeke, myrzeke, batyreke atalmaq üşın öner qylyp edıñder, ol dünieñ mūnda joq.

     You put effort so that on earth you would be called ‘honorable pilgrim,’ ‘respected mullah,’ ‘pious dervish,’ ‘generous lord,’ or ‘brave warrior’, but those worldly things don't exist here.

3. Makes ironic names for nations, often accompanied with -ң (-ñ) and -м (-m) suffixes.

   ‎қазақ (qazaq) + ‎-еке (-eke) → ‎қазекең (qazekeñ)

This suffix disregards vowel harmony. In the second and third senses, it joins to the word's first syllable and deletes everything that follows, often turning an earlier а into ә.