An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/keifen

by Friedrich Kluge

keifen, verb, ‘to scold,’ with the Low German form for the strictly High German keiben, Middle High German kîben, ‘to upbraid, quarrel,’ with the equivalent frequentative kibeln, kiveln; Middle High German kîp, kîbes, masculine, ‘wrangling manner, defiance, refractoriness.’ Middle Low German kîven, Dutch kijven, ‘to upbraid,’ Scandinavian kífa, ‘to quarrel,’ kíf, ‘quarrel.’