ku

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ku"

Translingual

Symbol

ku

1. (international standards) ISO 639-1 language code for Kurdish.

Afar

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈku/ [ˈkʊ]

Determiner

kú

1. thy, your

See also

Afar possessive determiners

		1st person	2nd person	3rd person m	3rd person f
Personal	Singular	yi	ku	kay	tet
	Plural	ni	sin	ken
Reflexive	Singular	inní	isí
	Plural	ninní	isinní, sinní

References

• E. M. Parker, R. J. Hayward (1985) “ku”, in An Afar-English-French dictionary (with Grammatical Notes in English), University of London, →ISBN
• Mohamed Hassan Kamil (2015) L’afar: description grammaticale d’une langue couchitique (Djibouti, Erythrée et Ethiopie)‎^[1], Paris: Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (doctoral thesis)

Ainu

Etymology 1

Alternative forms

• (Saru, before vowels) k

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ku]

Pronoun

ku= (Kana spelling ク)

1. I (first-person singular subject pronoun)

Usage notes

Used before verbs and adjectives to express the first person. When isolated, kuani is used. They can also be used together, thus:

Kuani ku=arpa wa ku=ye. ― I will go and tell him.

See also

Ainu personal pronouns

person	isolated form	affix form
		nominative	objective
first	singular	kuani, kani1	ku=, k=1 (before vowels)	en=
	exclusive plural	ciokay, coka1, ciutari	ci=, c=1 =as	un=
	inclusive plural	anokay, aoka1, anutari	a=, =an	i=
second	singular	eani	e=
	plural	eciokay, ecioka1, eciutari	eci=
	singular (polite)	anokay, aoka1	a=, =an	i=
	plural (polite)	anokay, aoka1, anutari
third	singular	sinuma, anihi	∅=
	plural	okay, oka1
indefinite	singular	asinuma	a=, =an	i=
	plural	anokay, aoka1, anutari
1. Saru dialect

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ku]

Verb

ku (Kana spelling ク)

1. to drink

Derived terms

• iku (“to drink strong drink”)

See also

• e (“to eat”)

Albanian

Alternative forms

• (Gheg) kû, kûn, kûh, ka, kah

Etymology

From Proto-Albanian *ku, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷu (“where”). Cognate to Proto-Baltic *kur (“where”) (Lithuanian kur̃ (“id”), kur (“id”), Latvian kur), Proto-Slavic *kъde (“where”) (Old Church Slavonic къде (kŭde, “id”), Russian где (gde)) and Sanskrit कुह (kúha, “where”) (cf. also Sanskrit कू (kū́, “id”), Avestan 𐬐𐬎𐬛𐬁 (kudā), 𐬐𐬏 (kū)).

See also Albanian kur (“when”).

Adverb

ku

1. where (asking about a place, where or towards which direction)

   Ku po shkon? ― Where are you going?

2. where ... at

   Ku je? ― Where (are) you at?

3. whither, whereto
4. whence, where from
5. how (to/that)

   Synonym: si (qysh (Gheg))

   Ku e din ai? ― How does he (want to) know that?

   Ku më dit unë? ― How do I know that? (Gheg)

6. where, whither; there, thither (used to connect repetitive verbs; indicating location, direction)

Particle

ku

1. where (used for rhetorical questions)
2. where to where whither (used repeatedly, to accentuate significant differences between two objects)

Related terms

• kudo (“wherever”)
• diku (“somewhere”)
• kudo (“anywhere”)
• kudoqoftë (“anywhere”)
• askund (“nowhere”), askundi (“id”)
• ndokund (“somewhere”)
• gjëkund (“nowhere”), gjëkund (“id”)
• asgjëkund (“nowhere”), asgjëkundi (“id”)
• kurrkund (“nowhere”)
• kur (“when”)
• këtu (“here”)
• kah m (“direction”), kahu m (“id”)
• (Gheg) këtû, qaty

See also

• (interrogative pronouns)
  • (nominative) kush (“who”)
  • (accusative) kë (“whom”), (kënd (“id”))
  • (dative, ablative, genitive) kujt (kuj)

Further reading

• [2] adverb/particle ku (where) • Fjalor Shqip (Albanian Dictionary)
• Oda Buchholz, Wilfried Fiedler, Gerda Uhlisch (2000) “adverb/particle ku I, II (where, whither, whereto)”, in Langenscheidt Handwörterbuch Albanisch, Langenscheidt Verlag, →ISBN, page 256
• Martin Camaj (1984) “'ku' (where) (and other relatives)”, in Albanian grammar: with exercises, chrestomathy and glossaries, Otto Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden, →ISBN, pages 66, 92

Anguthimri

Noun

ku

1. (Mpakwithi) tree
2. (Mpakwithi) wood
3. (Mpakwithi) stick

References

• Terry Crowley, The Mpakwithi dialect of Anguthimri (1981), page 186

Bambara

Noun

ku

1. tail
2. yam

Derived terms

• bananku
• kukara
• masaku

Basque

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ku/, [ku]

Noun

ku inan

1. The name of the Latin-script letter Q/q.

Declension

Declension of ku (inanimate, ending in vowel)

	indefinite	singular	plural
absolutive	ku	kua	kuak
ergative	kuk	kuak	kuek
dative	kuri	kuari	kuei
genitive	kuren	kuaren	kuen
comitative	kurekin	kuarekin	kuekin
causative	kurengatik	kuarengatik	kuengatik
benefactive	kurentzat	kuarentzat	kuentzat
instrumental	kuz	kuaz	kuez
inessive	kutan	kuan	kuetan
locative	kutako	kuko	kuetako
allative	kutara	kura	kuetara
terminative	kutaraino	kuraino	kuetaraino
directive	kutarantz	kurantz	kuetarantz
destinative	kutarako	kurako	kuetarako
ablative	kutatik	kutik	kuetatik
partitive	kurik	—	—
prolative	kutzat	—	—

See also

• (Latin-script letter names) a, be, ze, de, e, efe, ge, hatxe, i, jota, ka, ele, eme, ene, eñe, o, pe, ku, erre, ese, te, u, uve, uve bikoitz, ixa, i greko, zeta

Bura

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kú]

Noun

ku

1. hole

References

• 2007. The UCLA Phonetics Lab Archive. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Department of Linguistics.

Czech

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *kъ(n).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈku]

• Audio:

  (file)

Preposition

ku

1. (informal) to (in the direction of, and arriving at)

   Synonyms: k, ke

Further reading

• “ku”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935-1957
• “ku”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989

Ewe

Verb

kuku

1. to die

Faroese

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin kū.

Noun

ku n (genitive singular kus, plural ku)

1. The name of the Latin-script letter Q/q.

Declension

Declension of ku
n3	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	ku	kuið	ku	kuini
accusative	ku	kuið	ku	kuini
dative	kui	kuinum	kuum	kuunum
genitive	kus	kusins	kua	kuanna

Finnish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈku(ˣ)/, [ˈku(ʔ)]
• Rhymes: -u
• Syllabification^(key): ku

Conjunction

ku (colloquial)

1. Alternative form of kun
2. Alternative form of kuin

French

Alternative forms

• cu (much less common)
• qu (less common)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ky/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -y
• Homophones: cul, culs, cu, cus, kus, qu, qus

Noun

ku m (plural kus)

1. cue, The name of the Latin-script letter Q/q.

Guinea-Bissau Creole

Etymology 1

From Portuguese quando. Cognate with Kabuverdianu kantu.

Pronoun

ku

1. when

Etymology 2

From Portuguese com. Cognate with Kabuverdianu ku.

Preposition

ku

1. with

Gun

Alternative forms

• okú

Etymology

From Proto-Gbe *kú. Cognates include Fon kú, Xwela Gbe nku, Adja kú (v.), Adja eku (n.), Saxwe Gbe kú (v.), Saxwe Gbe okú (n.), Ewe ku (v.), Ewe eku (n.), Yoruba kú (v.), Yoruba ikú (n.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kú/

Noun

kú (plural kú lɛ́ or kú lẹ́)

1. death

Derived terms

• fɔ́nsɔ́nkú (“resurrection”)
• fọ́nsọ́nkú (“resurrection”)

 

Verb

kú

1. to die

Ifè

Etymology

Proposed to derive from Proto-Yoruboid *kú or Proto-Yoruboid *kpú. Cognates are extensive throughout many different branches of Niger-Congo. Cognate with Igala kwú, Tiv *kpe, Ibibio *kpa, Proto-Jukunoid *kwu-, Ewe *kuku and Awing *kfu (from Proto-Grassfields *kÚ(a)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kú/

Verb

kú

1. to die

Indonesian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ku/

Pronoun

ku

1. (text messaging, informal) Alternative spelling of -ku.

Further reading

• “ku” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Ingrian

Alternative forms

• ko

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *ku, from Proto-Uralic *ku-. Akin to Finnish kun and Estonian kui.

Pronunciation

• (Ala-Laukaa) IPA^(key): /ˈku/, [ˈku]
• (Soikkola) IPA^(key): /ˈku/, [ˈku]
• Rhymes: -u
• Hyphenation: ku

Conjunction

ku

1. than
   • 1936, V. I. Junus, Iƶoran Keelen Grammatikka‎^[3], Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 4:

     Laukaal monikkaat äänet saotaa toiseel viisii, ku Soikkolas, sannoin painutos, sklonenja, Laukaal ono vähä toisenlaajain, ja Laukaal ono sanoja, kumpa Soikkolaas ei oo, tali kummat Soikkolaas merkitsööt toista assiaa, ku Laukaal.

     In the Lower Luga dialect some sounds are pronounced in a different way, than in the Soikkola dialect, the inflection, declension of words, is a little different in Lower Luga, and Lower Luga has words, that aren't in Soikkola, or that in Soikkola mean different things, than in Lower Luga.

2. like, how, to
   • 1936, L. G. Terehova, V. G. Erdeli, translated by Mihailov and P. I. Maksimov, Geografia: oppikirja iƶoroin alkușkoulun kolmatta klaassaa vart (ensimäine osa), Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-Pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 6:

     Miä muissin, kui möö hulkuimma metsää mööt, yhenlain ku sokkiat, ja nyt kovin meinaisin oppihussa löytämää teetä, samalviittää kui pioneerat.

     I remembered, how we wandered along the forest, similar to blind people, and now I really decided to learn to find the way, just like the pioneers.

Derived terms

• ku vaa

 

References

• Ruben E. Nirvi (1971) Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 210

Japanese

Romanization

ku

1. The hiragana syllable く (ku) or the katakana syllable ク (ku) in Hepburn romanization.

Javanese

Etymology 1

Shortened form of aku, from Old Javanese aku, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *aku, from Proto-Austronesian *aku.

Pronoun

ku (personal pronoun, informal)

1. I (personal pronoun)
2. me (direct object of a verb)
3. me (object of a preposition)
4. me (indirect object of a verb)
5. my (belonging to me)

Etymology 2

Clipping of iku

Determiner

ku

1. that, those

Jingpho

Etymology

Borrowed from Burmese ကူး (ku:).

Verb

ku

1. to copy

References

• Kurabe, Keita (2016 December 31) “Phonology of Burmese loanwords in Jinghpaw”, in Kyoto University Linguistic Research‎^[4], volume 35, →DOI, →ISSN, pages 91–128

Kabuverdianu

Etymology

From Portuguese com.

Preposition

ku

1. with

Karelian

Regional variants of ku

North Karelian (Viena)	ku
South Karelian (Tver)	ku

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *ku. Cognates include Finnish ku-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈku/
• Hyphenation: ku

Determiner

ku

1. (interrogative) what? which?

Pronoun

ku

1. (relative) which

Declension

Viena Karelian declension of ku (irregular)
	singular	plural
nominative	ku	kut
genitive	kun	kun
partitive	kuta	kuta
illative	kuh	kuh
inessive	kušša	kušša
elative	kušta	kušta
adessive	kulla	kulla
ablative	kulta	kulta
translative	kukši	kukši
essive	kuna	kuna
comitative	—	kuneh
abessive	kutta	kutta

Tver Karelian declension of ku (irregular)
	singular	plural
nominative	ku	kut
genitive	kun	kun
partitive	kuda	kuta
illative	kuh	kuh
inessive	kušša	kušša
elative	kušta	kušta
adessive	kulla	kulla
ablative	kulda	kulda
translative	kukši	kukši
essive	kuna	kuna
comitative	kunke	kunke
abessive	kutta	kutta

References

• A. V. Punzhina (1994) “ku”, in Словарь карельского языка (тверские говоры) [Dictionary of the Karelian language (Tver dialects)], →ISBN
• P. Zaykov, L. Rugoyeva (1999) “ku”, in Карельско-Русский словарь (Северно-Карельские диалекты) [Karelian-Russian dictionary (North Karelian dialects)], Petrozavodsk, →ISBN

Latin

Alternative forms

• cū

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /kuː/, [kuː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ku/, [kuː]

Noun

kū f (indeclinable)

1. The name of the letter Q.

Coordinate terms

• (Latin-script letter names) littera; ā, bē, cē, dē, ē, ef, gē, hā / *acca, ī, kā, el, em, en, ō, pē, kū, er, es, tē, ū, ix / īx / ex, ȳ / ī graeca / ȳpsīlon, zēta

References

• Arthur E. Gordon, The Letter Names of the Latin Alphabet (University of California Press, 1973; volume 9 of University of California Publications: Classical Studies), part III: “Summary of the Ancient Evidence”, page 32
  Clearly there is no question or doubt about the names of the vowels A, E, I, O, U. They are simply long A, long E, etc. (ā, ē, ī, ō, ū). Nor is there any uncertainty with respect to the six mutes B, C, D, G, P, T. Their names are bē, cē, dē, gē, pē, tē (each with a long E). Or about H, K, and Q: they are hā, kā, kū — each, again, with a long vowel sound.

Livonian

Alternative forms

• kui (Courland)

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *ku, from Proto-Uralic *ku- ~ *ko-. Related to Estonian kuidas and Finnish kuinka. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Pronoun

ku

1. how

Lower Sorbian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ku/

Preposition

ku (with dative)

1. Alternative form of k (used before ch, g, and k)

Malay

Alternative forms

• aku, daku

Etymology

Shortened form of aku, from Proto-Malayic *aku, from Proto-Malayo-Chamic *aku, from Proto-Malayo-Sumbawan *aku, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *aku, from Proto-Austronesian *aku.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ku/
• Rhymes: -ku, -u

Pronoun

ku (Jawi spelling کو) (informal)

1. I (personal pronoun)

   Kutahu.

   I know.

2. me (direct object of a verb)

   Dia mengenaliku.

   He knows me.

3. me (object of a preposition)

   Dia pergi denganku.

   He went with me.

4. me (indirect object of a verb)
5. my (belonging to me)

   Ini barangku.

   This is my stuff.

Derived terms

• ku-
• -ku

See also

Malay personal pronouns

		singular	plural
1st person	standard	saya / ساي aku/ku- / اکو / كو- (informal/towards God) -ku / -كو (informal possessive) hamba / همبا (dated)	kami / کامي (exclusive) kita orang / كيت اورڠ (informal exclusive) kita / کيت (inclusive)
	royal	beta / بيتا
2nd person	standard	kamu / کامو anda / اندا (formal)
		engkau/kau- / اڠکاو/ كاو- (informal/towards God) awak / اوق (friendly/older towards younger) -mu / -مو (possessive)	awak semua / اوق سموا kamu semua / كامو سموا kalian / کالين (informal) kau orang / كاو اورڠ (informal)
	royal	tuanku / توانكو
3rd person	standard	dia / دي ia / اي beliau / بلياو (honorific) -nya / -ڽ (possessive)	mereka / مريک dia orang / دي اورڠ (informal)
	royal	baginda / بݢيندا

Mandarin

Romanization

ku

1. Nonstandard spelling of kū.
2. Nonstandard spelling of kǔ.
3. Nonstandard spelling of kù.

Usage notes

• Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

Masurian

Etymology

Inherited from Old Polish ku.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈku/
• Rhymes: -u
• Syllabification: ku

Preposition

ku [with dative]

1. denotes allative movement; to, toward
2. denotes dative action, used to indicate the target or recipient of an action; to
3. denotes coming time; toward
4. for, benefitting
5. denotes reaction to something; to

Further reading

• Zofia Stamirowska (1987-2024) “ku”, in Anna Basara, editor, Słownik gwar Ostródzkiego, Warmii i Mazur‎^[5], volume 3, Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich Wydawnictwo Polskiej Akademii Nauk, →ISBN, page 367

Mauritian Creole

Noun

ku

1. Alternative spelling of kou

Middle English

Noun

ku

1. Alternative form of cou

Northern Kurdish

Conjunction

ku

1. that (connecting noun clause, introducing the result of the main clause)

   Min bihîst ku ew pir dewlemend e.

   I heard that he is very rich.

2. implied that (where it is grammatically necessary)

   Min tutişt tune ku bidim.

   I have nothing to give. OR I have nothing that I give.

Pronoun

ku

1. which, that (of those mentioned or implied)

   Dîmenderparêzên ku ekranê diguherînin bi kar bîne.

   Use screen savers that manipulate the screen.

Derived terms

• da ku, ji ber ku

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old West Norse kýr (accusative singular kú), from Proto-Germanic *kōz.

Noun

ku f or m (definite singular kua or kuen, indefinite plural kyr or kuer, definite plural kyrne or kuene)

1. a cow

Usage notes

• One of the nouns whose feminine form is predominant in formal writing.

Derived terms

• kugalskap
• kumelk
• melkeku, mjølkeku

References

• “ku” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kʉː/

Etymology 1

From Old West Norse kýr (accusative singular kú), from Proto-Germanic *kōz.

Noun

ku f (definite singular kua, indefinite plural kyr, definite plural kyrne)

1. cow

   Det går eit par kyr i beitet og beitar.

   There are a couple of cows grazing in the pasture.

Derived terms

• kugalskap
• mjølkeku

Etymology 2

Verb

ku

1. imperative of kua

Further reading

• “ku” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old Polish

Alternative forms

• k

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *kъ(n). First attested in the first half of the 14th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (10^th–15^th CE) /ku/
• IPA^(key): (15^th CE) /ku/

Preposition

ku [with dative]

1. denotes allative movement; to, toward

   Synonym: do

2. used datively, used to indicate the target or recipient of an action; to
3. until

   Synonym: do

4. for, benefitting

   Synonyms: dla, przed

5. because of

   Synonym: dla

6. in relation to, in terms of
7. in terms of accompanying circumstances; at
   • 1950 [1446], Władysław Kuraszkiewicz, Adam Wolff, editors, Zapiski i roty polskie XV-XVI wieku z ksiąg sądowych ziemi warszawskiej, number 591, Warsaw:

     Jacom ya byl ku temu yednanyu natenczasz, yakom smowil sz Janem

     [Jakom ja był ku temu jednaniu natenczas, jakom smowił z Janem]

Descendants

• Masurian: ku
• Polish: ku, k (Middle Polish)
• Silesian: ku

References

• B. Sieradzka-Baziur, editor (2011–2015), “ku”, in Słownik pojęciowy języka staropolskiego [Conceptual Dictionary of Old Polish] (in Polish), Kraków: IJP PAN, →ISBN

Papiamentu

Etymology 1

From Portuguese com and Spanish con and Kabuverdianu ku.

Conjunction

ku

1. with
2. plus
3. and

Etymology 2

From Portuguese que and Spanish que and Kabuverdianu ki.

Adverb

ku

1. than
2. that
3. which

Pnar

Etymology

From Proto-Khasian *kuː. Cognate with Khasi kiew and Proto-Khmuic *gaːw (“to climb”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ku/

Verb

ku

1. to climb

Polish

Alternative forms

• k (Middle Polish)

Etymology

Inherited from Old Polish ku.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ku/
• (Middle Polish) IPA^(key): /ˈku/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -u
• Syllabification: ku

Preposition

ku [with dative]

1. denotes allative movement; to, toward
2. denotes dative action, used to indicate the target or recipient of an action; to
3. (literary) for, benefitting

   Synonym: dla

4. used to indicate a resulting feeling or emotion; to

   ku mojemu zaskoczeniu ― to my surprise

See also

• do

Trivia

According to Słownik frekwencyjny polszczyzny współczesnej (1990), ku is one of the most used words in Polish, appearing 23 times in scientific texts, 9 times in news, 12 times in essays, 41 times in fiction, and 13 times in plays, each out of a corpus of 100,000 words, totaling 98 times, making it the 639th most common word in a corpus of 500,000 words.

Further reading

• ku in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• ku in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• Maria Renata Mayenowa, Stanisław Rospond, Witold Taszycki, Stefan Hrabec, Władysław Kuraszkiewicz (2010-2023) “ku, k”, in Słownik Polszczyzny XVI Wieku [A Dictionary of 16th Century Polish]
• “KU”, in Elektroniczny Słownik Języka Polskiego XVII i XVIII Wieku [Electronic Dictionary of the Polish Language of the XVII and XVIII Century], 2018 June 28
• Samuel Bogumił Linde (1807–1814) “ku”, in Słownik języka polskiego
• Aleksander Zdanowicz (1861) “ku”, in Słownik języka polskiego, Wilno 1861
• J. Karłowicz, A. Kryński, W. Niedźwiedzki, editors (1902), “ku, k”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), volume 2, Warsaw, page 615

Silesian

Etymology

Inherited from Old Polish ku.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈku/
• Rhymes: -u
• Syllabification: ku

Preposition

ku [with dative]

1. denotes allative movement; to, toward

   Synonym: do

   Antonym: ôd

2. used datively, used to indicate the target or recipient of an action; to

   Synonym: do

   Antonym: ôd

Further reading

• ku in dykcjonorz.eu
• ku in silling.org

Sumerian

Romanization

ku

1. Romanization of 𒆪 (ku)

Talysh

Etymology

Cognate with Persian کور (kur).

Adjective

ku

1. blind

Tat

Etymology

Cognate with Persian کوه (kuh).

Noun

ku

1. mountain

Ter Sami

Etymology

From Proto-Uralic *ki, the same root from which the Finnish ken is derived.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ku/

Pronoun

ku

1. who

Further reading

• Koponen, Eino, Ruppel, Klaas, Aapala, Kirsti, editors (2002–2008), Álgu database: Etymological database of the Saami languages‎^[6], Helsinki: Research Institute for the Languages of Finland

Tocharian A

Etymology

From Proto-Tocharian *ku, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwṓ (“dog”). Compare Tocharian B ku, Latin canis, Old Irish cú, Old English hund.

Noun

ku m

1. dog

Tocharian B

Etymology

From Proto-Tocharian *ku, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwṓ (“dog”). Compare Tocharian A ku, Latin canis, Old Irish cú, Old English hund.

Noun

ku m

1. dog

Further reading

• Adams, Douglas Q. (2013) “ku”, in A Dictionary of Tocharian B: Revised and Greatly Enlarged (Leiden Studies in Indo-European; 10), Amsterdam, New York: Rodopi, →ISBN, page 190

Tsonga

Particle

ku

1. to

   Ku ba ndlopfu hi xibakele. ― To hit an elephant with a fist.

References

• "ku" in Xitsonga Dictionary

Unami

Etymology

From Proto-Algonquian *-w (negative particle).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ku]

Adverb

ku

1. not

Veps

Etymology 1

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

Conjunction

ku

1. if
2. when
3. than (in comparisons)

Synonyms

• (than): mi

Etymology 2

From Proto-Finnic *kuu, from Proto-Uralic *kuŋe.

Noun

ku

1. moon
2. month

Inflection

Inflection of ku (inflection type 13/ma)
nominative sing.	ku
genitive sing.	kun
partitive sing.	kud
partitive plur.	kuid
	singular	plural
nominative	ku	kud
accusative	kun	kud
genitive	kun	kuiden
partitive	kud	kuid
essive-instructive	kun	kuin
translative	kuks	kuikš
inessive	kus	kuiš
elative	kuspäi	kuišpäi
illative	kuhu	kuihe
adessive	kul	kuil
ablative	kulpäi	kuilpäi
allative	kule	kuile
abessive	kuta	kuita
comitative	kunke	kuidenke
prolative	kudme	kuidme
approximative I	kunno	kuidenno
approximative II	kunnoks	kuidennoks
egressive	kunnopäi	kuidennopäi
terminative I	kuhusai	kuihesai
terminative II	kulesai	kuilesai
terminative III	kussai	—
additive I	kuhupäi	kuihepäi
additive II	kulepäi	kuilepäi

Derived terms

• eloku
• heinku
• kezaku
• keväz'ku
• kulehtez
• kül'mku
• reduku
• semendku
• sulaku
• sügüz'ku
• tal'vku
• uhoku
• uz'ku
• viluku

 

References

• Zajceva, N. G., Mullonen, M. I. (2007) “если, месяц, когда, раз, чем”, in Uz’ venä-vepsläine vajehnik / Novyj russko-vepsskij slovarʹ [New Russian–Veps Dictionary]‎^[7], Petrozavodsk: Periodika

Votic

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.) Cognate with Finnish kun and Ingrian ku.

Pronunciation

• (Luutsa, Liivtšülä) IPA^(key): /ˈku/, [ˈku]
• Rhymes: -u
• Hyphenation: ku

Conjunction

ku

1. (relative) when
2. if
3. than (in comparisons)
4. that

Adverb

ku

1. how (in expressions of wonder)

References

• Hallap, V., Adler, E., Grünberg, S., Leppik, M. (2012) “ku”, in Vadja keele sõnaraamat [A dictionary of the Votic language], 2nd edition, Tallinn

Wakhi

Pronoun

ku

1. who

Xârâcùù

Noun

ku

1. yam

Yoruba

Etymology 1

Proposed to derive from Proto-Yoruboid *kú or Proto-Yoruboid *kpú. Cognates are extensive throughout many different branches of Niger-Congo. Cognate with Igala kwú, Tiv *kpe, Ibibio *kpa, Proto-Jukunoid *kwu-, Ewe *kuku and Awing *kfu (from Proto-Grassfields *kÚ(a)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kú/

Verb

kú

1. to die

   Ọ̀pọ̀ ló kú nínú ìjàǹbá yẹn ― Many died in that accident

   Fóònù mi ti fẹ́ kú nísìnyí, màá pè yín padà o ― My phone's about to die now, I'll call you back

Synonyms

• dágbére fáyé (literally “to bid farewell to earth”)
• filẹ̀ ṣaṣọ bora (literally “to use the ground as a blanket”)
• gbèkuru jẹ lọ́wọ́ ẹbọra
• jáde láyé (literally “to leave the world”)
• papòdà (literally “to change position”)
• rọ̀run (literally “to go to heaven”)
• rèwàlẹ̀ àṣà
• ṣaláìsí (literally “to cease from existing”)
• ta téru nípàá
• tẹ́rí gbaṣọ (literally “to bow and accept to cloth”)
• wọ káà ilẹ̀ lọ (literally “to enter the hole in the ground”)
• wàjà (“to enter the ceiling”)

 

Derived terms

• ikú (“death”)
• àìkú (“immortality”)
• òkú (“corpse”)

 

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kù/

Verb

kù

1. to remain

   Ó ku oṣù mẹ́ta kí n padà lọ ― There're three months left until I go back

Derived terms

• yòókù (“remainder, rest, others”)
• àfọ́kù (“remains; shards”)
• àgékù (“remainder after a cut”)
• àjẹkù (“leftovers”)
• àkẹ̀kù (“fossil”)
• àkékù
• àlòkù (“secondhand; leftover waste”)
• àmukù (“(cigarette) butt”)
• àṣẹ́kù (“ruins”)
• ìdínkù (“decrease; decline”)
• ìyòókù (“remainder, rest, others”)