English word origin

Etymology of Keim

* As a Jewish surname, from Yiddish קײַם (kaym), a name from Hebrew קיים (“existing, enduring, tough”). * As a German surname, from the noun Keim (“sprout, shoot”). Sometimes also a pet form of Joachim. Compare Kaim.

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗

name

A surname.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Derivation mentionקײַםyi
Derivation mentionקייםhe · existing, enduring, tough

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "yi",
        "3": "קײַם"
      },
      "expansion": "Yiddish קײַם (kaym)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "he",
        "3": "קיים",
        "t": "existing, enduring, tough"
      },
      "expansion": "Hebrew קיים (“existing, enduring, tough”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "de",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "German"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "קײַם",
      "קײַם#Yiddish"
    ],
    [
      "קיים",
      "קיים#Hebrew"
    ],
    [
      "Keim",
      "Keim#German"
    ],
    [
      "Joachim",
      "Joachim#English"
    ],
    [
      "Kaim",
      "Kaim#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A surname."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "9f5450da8ea5e824bd4da986ae00263aeaeb8737190782d052a0a9d2da1f490b",
      "rawRecordSha256": "e451a7d2c6f660e98c73bcaf0f562ceffd47776c5bf9dd34e0b08ed685bc74ca",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 381031
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for Keim →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-S2VpbQ