kith en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /kɪθ/
- (UK) audio
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.
Meanings
-
(archaic, obsolete, uncountable, usually) Friends and acquaintances.
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.
2000 August 3, Michael Kelly, “New Hope For Nice Guys”, in Orlando Sentinel, archived from the original on 18 Jun 2013:Alack, would that Edward listened more to me and less to the queen’s kith! These Woodvilles!
1843, Edward Bulwer[-]Lytton, The Last of the Barons, London; New York, N.Y.: George Routledge and Sons […], →OCLC:
- (Northern-England, Scotland, countable, qualifier:rustic, usually) An acquaintance or a friend.
-
(countable, qualifier:social work, uncountable, usually) 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.
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.
2024 May 14, W. Kapurura, “Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto v. A.M., 2024 ONCJ 235”, in CanLII, retrieved 30 May 2026:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| kiths | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
kithfolk · kith and kin · kithless
Relateds
Synonyms
Translations (14)
ru друзья́ и знако́мые (friends and acquaintances) · cs známí (friends and acquaintances) · ca amistats f pl i parentela (friends and acquaintances) · sh poznanici (friends and acquaintances) · sv bekanta (friends and acquaintances) · ca coneguts (friends and acquaintances) · sh znanci (friends and acquaintances) · ka ნაცნობები და ნათესავები (friends and acquaintances) · da bekendte (friends and acquaintances) · sv vänner (friends and acquaintances) · de Freunde und Bekannte (friends and acquaintances) · da slægtninge (friends and acquaintances) · pl krewni i znajomi (friends and acquaintances) · fi ystävät ja tuttavat (friends and acquaintances)