ku

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ku"

Languages (61)

Translingual

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Afar • Ainu • Akan • Albanian • Anguthimri • Bambara • Basque • Bura • Chungli Ao • Czech • Esperanto • Ewe • Faroese • Finnish • French • Guinea-Bissau Creole • Gun • Ifè • Indonesian • Ingrian • Japanese • Javanese • Jingpho • Kabuverdianu • Kapampangan • Karelian • Khoekhoe • Latin • Livonian • Lower Sorbian • Lutuv • Malay • Mandarin • Mauritian Creole • Middle English • Musi • Northern Kurdish • Norwegian Bokmål • Norwegian Nynorsk • Nǀuu • Oksapmin • Old Polish • Papiamentu • Pnar • Polish • Silesian • Somali • Sumerian • Talysh • Tat • Ter Sami • Tocharian A • Tocharian B • Tsonga • Unami • Veps • Votic • Wakhi • Xârâcùù • Yoruba

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Page categories

Translingual

Etymology

Clipping of English Kurdish.

Symbol

ku

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

Afar

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈku/ [ˈkʊ]
• Hyphenation: ku

Determiner

kú

1. thy, your

See also

Afar possessive determiners

	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
m	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)‎^[2], Paris: Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (doctoral thesis)

Ainu

Etymology 1

Abbreviated form of Ainu kuani (“I, myself”).

Alternative forms

• (Saru, before vowels) k

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ku/

Pronominal Prefix

ku (Kana spelling ク)

1. (first-person singular subject pronominal prefix) I, myself.

   Ku-wakkarusuy.

   I’m thirsty.

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.

• In some dialects, ku-, and its exclusive plural counterpart ci can fuse with the starting vowel of a verb or inalienable noun (being /i/ the only exception), dropping its own vowel:

Toan orun k-arpa yakka, somo hosipi. — Even if I go there, he won’t return.

Ancikat ta poro ipe c-e! — We’ll have a feast at night!

Na ku-ipe’rusuy humi! — I still want to eat more!

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, causative kure, applicative eku)

1. (transitive) to drink, to swallow.

   Kotan kari pet oyamokte kera an wakka ku-ku a p.

   I ended up drinking the water with a weird taste from that river crossing the village.

Conjugation

Conjugation of ku

case			objective
	person		1st	2nd	3rd	4th
		number	singular	plural	singular	plural	singular	plural	singular	plural
subjective	1st	singular			eci=ku	eci=ku	k(u)=ku	k(u)=ku	ku=i=ku	ku=i=ku
plural			eci=ku	eci=ku	c(i)=ku	c(i)=ku	a=i=ku	a=i=ku
2nd	singular	en=ku	un=ku			e=ku	e=ku	e=i=ku	e=i=ku
plural	eci=en=ku	eci=un=ku			eci=ku	eci=ku	eci=i=ku	eci=i=ku
3rd	singular	en=ku	un=ku	e=ku	eci=ku	ku	ku	i=ku	i=ku
plural	en=ku	un=ku	e=ku	eci=ku	ku	ku	i=ku	i=ku
4th	singular	a=en=ku	a=un=ku	a=e=ku	a=eci=ku	a=ku	a=ku	a=i=ku	a=i=ku
plural	a=en=ku	a=un=ku	a=e=ku	a=eci=ku	a=ku	a=ku	a=i=ku	a=i=ku

^†1st-person plurals are exclusive. Inclusive 1st-person plurals are denoted by 4th-person.
^†4th-person: indefinite person, 1st-person inclusive plural, logophorical person, 2nd-person honorific, etc.
See Ainu grammar.

Derived terms

• iku (“to drink (intransitive)”)

See also

• e (“to eat”)

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ku]

Noun

ku (Kana spelling ク)

1. (inalienable, countable) a bow or a trap.

   Kuhu ani yuk raykere.

   He killed the deer with his bow.

Declension

Declension of ku

	Singular	Plural	Short Affiliative	Long Affiliative
Latin	ku	—	kuwe	kuwehe, kuhu
Katakana	ク	—	クウェ	クウェヘ, クフ

Usage notes

• The affiliative form kuhu (クフ) is specifically used when referring to the object bow. Whereas kuwe/kuwehe (クウェ/クウェヘ) is used to refer to a trap.

Akan

Pronunciation

+ATR

Verb

ku

1. to kill

Albanian

Alternative forms

• ku, kû, kun, kûn, kûnê, kuh, kûh, ka, kah — Gheg

Etymology

From Proto-Albanian *ku, from Proto-Indo-European *kú (“where?”). Cognate to Proto-Baltic *kur (“where”), Lithuanian kur̃ (“where”) & kur (“where”), Latvian kur, Proto-Slavic *kъde (“where”), Old Church Slavonic къде (kŭde, “where”), Russian где (gde) and Sanskrit कुह (kúha, “where”), Sanskrit कू (kū́, “where”), 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

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

See also

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

Further reading

• [3] 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]
• Rhymes: -u
• Hyphenation: ku

Noun

ku inan

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

Declension

Declension of ku (inan V-stem)

	indefinite	singular	plural	proximal plural
absolutive	ku	kua	kuak	kuok
ergative	kuk	kuak	kuek	kuok
dative	kuri	kuari	kuei	kuoi
genitive	kuren	kuaren	kuen	kuon
comitative	kurekin	kuarekin	kuekin	kuokin
causative	kurengatik	kuarengatik	kuengatik	kuongatik
benefactive	kurentzat	kuarentzat	kuentzat	kuontzat
instrumental	kuz	kuaz	kuez	kuotaz
inessive	kutan	kuan	kuetan	kuotan
locative	kutako	kuko	kuetako	kuotako
allative	kutara	kura	kuetara	kuotara
terminative	kutaraino	kuraino	kuetaraino	kuotaraino
directive	kutarantz	kurantz	kuetarantz	kuotarantz
destinative	kutarako	kurako	kuetarako	kuotarako
ablative	kutatik	kutik	kuetatik	kuotatik
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

Further reading

• “ku”, in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy] (in Basque), Euskaltzaindia [Royal Academy of the Basque Language]

Bura

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kú]

Noun

ku

1. hole

References

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

Chungli Ao

Etymology 1

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ku˧/, [ku˧]

Noun

ku

1. a kind of basket

Etymology 2

Noun

ku

1. hair (on top on a person's head)

Further reading

• ("basket")
  • Bruhn, Daniel Wayne (2014), A Phonological Reconstruction of Proto-Central Naga‎^[4], Berkeley: University of California, page 54
  • Gowda, K. S. Gurubasave (1985), Ao-English-Hindi Dictionary, Mysore: Central Institute of Indian Languages, page 25
  • Clark, Mary M. (1893), Ao Naga grammar with illustrative phrases and vocabulary, Molung: Assam Secretariat Printing Office, page 95
• ("hair")
  • Gowda, K. S. Gurubasave (1985), Ao-English-Hindi Dictionary, Mysore: Central Institute of Indian Languages, page 25
  • Clark, Mary M. (1893), Ao Naga grammar with illustrative phrases and vocabulary, Molung: Assam Secretariat Printing Office, page 126

Czech

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *kom

Proto-Indo-European *ku

Proto-Indo-European *kʷom

Proto-Slavic *kъ(n)

Czech ku

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *kъ(n).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈku]

• Audio:

  (file)

Preposition

ku [with dative]

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

Esperanto

Pronunciation

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

Noun

ku

1. alternative form of kuo

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

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
• Hyphenation^(key): ku

Conjunction

ku (colloquial)

1. alternative form of kun

   Se ilmesty antamaan ohjeita ku mä olin jo saanu työn valmiiks.

   He showed up to give instructions when I had already finished the job.

2. alternative form of kuin

Particle

ku (colloquial)

1. alternative form of kuin

   Risto oli puhunu Pekan kaa useemmin ku (mitä) päiväkirja antaa ymmärtää.

   Risto had been talking with Pekka more often than the diary lets one understand.

French

Alternative forms

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ky/

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (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. who

Etymology 2

From Portuguese com. Cognate with Kabuverdianu ku.

Preposition

ku

1. with

Gun

Alternative forms

• okú

Etymology

From Proto-Gbe *kú (“to die”), *-kú (“death”). Cognates include Fon kú, Xwela Gbe nku, Aja (West Africa) kú (v.), Aja (West Africa) 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

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈku/ [ˈku]
• Rhymes: -u
• Syllabification: ku

Etymology 1

Pronoun

ku

1. apheretic form of aku
2. (text messaging, informal) alternative spelling of -ku

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Min Nan 龜／龟 (ku, “turtle; tortoise”).

Noun

ku

1. (cooking) Ang ku kueh: a small round or oval-shaped Chinese sweet dumpling with soft, sticky glutinous rice flour skin wrapped around a sweet central filling

Etymology 3

Unadapted borrowing from Japanese 區(く) (ku, “ward, section, district”). Romanised according modified Kunrei-shiki romanization.

Noun

ku

1. (historical, 1942-1945) synonym of desa (“village”)

Further reading

• “ku”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), 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^[5], 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) [Geography: textbook for Ingrian elementary school third grade (first part)], 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 (31 December 2016), “Phonology of Burmese loanwords in Jinghpaw”, in Kyoto University Linguistic Research‎^[6], volume 35, →DOI, →ISSN, pages 91–128

Kabuverdianu

Etymology

From Portuguese com.

Preposition

ku

1. with

Kapampangan

Alternative forms

• ko
• ke
• co (obsolete)
• k, q (text messaging slang)

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *-ku, from Proto-Austronesian *-ku. Compare Malay -ku.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈku/ [ˈku]
• Hyphenation: ku

Pronoun

ku (postpositive)

1. my; mine

   Synonym: (prepositive) kanaku

   Ing bale ku. ― My house.

   King babo ku. ― Above me. (literally, “my above”)

2. I; me (indirect)

   Synonym: (prepositive) kanaku

   Sepu ke ing bola ku.

   I caught the ball.

   (literally, “The ball was caught by me.”)

See also

Kapampangan personal pronouns

	absolute	ergative	oblique
disjunctive	enclitic
first person	singular	aku/i aku/yaku	ku	kanaku
plural inclusive	ikatamu	katamu/tamu	tamu/ta	kekatamu
plural exclusive	ikami, ike	kami/ke	mi	kekami/keke
second person	singular	ika	ka	mu	keka
plural	ikayu/iko	kayu/ko	yu	kekayu/keko
third person	singular	iya/ya	ya	na	keya/kaya
plural	ila	la	da/ra	karela

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	kun
genitive	kun	kuta
partitive	kuta	kuh
illative	kuh	kušša
inessive	kušša	kušta
elative	kušta	kulla
adessive	kulla	kulta
ablative	kulta	kukši
translative	kukši	kuna
essive	kuna	kuneh
comitative	—	kutta
abessive	kutta	{{{25}}}
prolative	kut	{{{26}}}
instructive	—	{{{27}}}

Tver Karelian declension of ku (irregular)
	singular	plural
nominative	ku	kun
genitive	kun	kuta
partitive	kuda	kuh
illative	kuh	kušša
inessive	kušša	kušta
elative	kušta	kulla
adessive	kulla	kulda
ablative	kulda	kukši
translative	kukši	kuna
essive	kuna	kunke
comitative	kunke	kutta
abessive	kutta	{{{25}}}
prolative	kut	{{{26}}}
instructive	—	{{{27}}}

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

Khoekhoe

Etymology

Borrowed from an extinct South Cushitic language. Compare with Iraqw koʕo and Burunge kuʕo (“bull”). See also Egyptian kꜣ (“bull”)

Noun

ku ? (dual, plural)

1. sheep

Latin

Alternative forms

• cū

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈkuː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈkuː]

Noun

kū n or 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 (Salaca)

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *ku, from Proto-Uralic *ku- ~ *ko-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈku/, [ˈku]

Preposition

ku

1. when, if

Conjunction

ku

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

Adverb

ku

1. like, how
2. (Salaca) when

Pronoun

ku

1. (Salaca) who, which (relative pronoun)

See also

• kui

References

• Tiit-Rein Viitso; Valts Ernštreits (2012–2013), “ku”, in Līvõkīel-ēstikīel-lețkīel sõnārōntõz [Livonian-Estonian-Latvian Dictionary]‎^[7] (in Estonian and Latvian), Tartu, Rīga: Tartu Ülikool, Latviešu valodas aģentūra
• Andreas Johan Sjögren, Ferdinand Johann Wiedemann (1861), Livisch-deutsches und deutsch-livisches Wörterbuch

Lower Sorbian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ku/

Preposition

ku [with dative]

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

Lutuv

Etymology

From Proto-Kuki-Chin *kaw, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *kaw.

Verb

ku

1. to call

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	saya1 aku3	kita4 kami2 & 5 kita orang3 & 5
2nd person	awak1 anda2 awda8 (eng)kau3 kamu3	(2nd person) + semua6 kalian2 (eng)kau orang3
3rd person	dia ia beliau7 -nya2	mereka2 dia orang3

¹ Polite.
² Formal.
³ Informal.
⁴ Includes the listener (inclusive).
⁵ Excludes the listener (exclusive).
⁶ Formality depends on the second person pronoun used.
⁷ Honorific.
⁸ Formal (Brunei).

Notes:

• This table mostly only shows personal pronouns that are commonly used in the standard language and within the Klang Valley area.
• The second person pronouns are often replaced by kinship terms, titles, or the like.
• The enclitic -nya is only used obliquely (as an object or possessor).
• The second person pronoun kamu is usually only used when speaking with younger speakers.

See each entry for more information.

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.

Mauritian Creole

Noun

ku

1. alternative spelling of kou

Middle English

Noun

ku

1. alternative form of cow

Musi

Alternative forms

• aku

Pronoun

ku

1. I (personal pronoun)

   Ku ngenjoq sén dié agaitangi. (Sekayu) ― I gave him/her money yesterday.

2. me (direct object of a verb)

   Naméq nga daq ngendaq ku? (Sekayu) ― Why you didn't invite me?

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

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

• gjeldku
• gullku
• kugalskap
• mjølkeku

Etymology 2

Verb

ku

1. imperative of kua

Further reading

• “ku” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Nǀuu

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ku/

Etymology 1

Pronoun

ku

1. (simple) third person singular personal pronoun; he, she, him, her

Determiner

ku

1. his, her

Nǀuu personal pronouns

	Western dialect		Eastern dialect
	A-form	Simple	Click	A-form	Simple	Click
1st	singular	na	ng	nǀng	nya	ng	nǀng
plural	inclusive	ca	i	gǀi	ca	i	gǀi
Exclusive	sa	si	/	sa	si	/
2st	Singular	a	a	gǀa	a	a	gǀa
Plural	ba	u	gǀu	ba	u	gǀu
3st	singular		kua	ku	/	kua	ku	/
H-form	ha	ha	/	ha	ha	/
plural		kina	kin	/	kina	kin	/
H-form	hna	hn / hng	/	hna	hn / hng	/
Indefinite	ǂa	ǂi	/	ǂa	ǂi	/

Click form: The form used in the question starts with the first or second personal pronouns. It can also be used before the linker(ng).
A-form: The form used in declarative sentence.
H-form: The form often used in possessors, especially stories.

Etymology 2

Verb

ku

1. to be like

Synonyms

• ǁa, tsʼaa

References

• Shah, Sheena, and Matthias Brenzinger. Ouma Geelmeid ke kx’u ǁxaǁxa Nǀuu. Cape Town: CALDi, University of Cape Town. 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17432.
• Sands, Bonny & Jones, Kerry & Esau, Katrina & Collins, Chris & Witzlack-Makarevich, Alena & Job, Sylvanus & Miller, Amanda & Steyn, Betta & Zaanen, Menno & Namaseb, Levi & Berg, Dietloff & Mantzel, Dotty & Damarah, Willem & Snyman, Claudia & Wyk, David & Brugman, Johanna & Exter, Mats & Vaalbooi, Antjie & Westhuizen, Mietjie. (2022). Nǀuuki Namagowab Afrikaans English ǂXoakiǂxanisi/Mîdi di ǂKhanis/Woordeboek/Dictionary.

Oksapmin

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ku]

Noun

ku

1. woman

References

• Robyn Loughnane, A Grammar of Oksapmin (April 2009), page 58
• Marshall Lawrence (2006), Oksapmin dictionary‎^[8], 2 edition, page 73

Old Polish

Alternative forms

• k

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *kom

Proto-Indo-European *ku

Proto-Indo-European *kʷom

Proto-Slavic *kъ(n)

Old Polish ku

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, benefiting

   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

• Polish: ku, k (Middle Polish), pu (Kuyavia, Near Masovian, Łowicz)
• Silesian: ku

References

• Bożena Sieradzka-Baziur, et al., editors (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 earlier Papiamentu ki with the same meaning, 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)
• pu (Kuyavia, Near Masovian, Łowicz)

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *kom

Proto-Indo-European *ku

Proto-Indo-European *kʷom

Proto-Slavic *kъ(n)

Old Polish ku

Polish ku

Inherited from Old Polish ku.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ˈku/

• (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, benefiting

   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^[9] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “ku”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[10] (in Polish)
• 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], 28 June 2018
• 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

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *kom

Proto-Indo-European *ku

Proto-Indo-European *kʷom

Proto-Slavic *kъ(n)

Old Polish ku

Silesian ku

Inherited from Old Polish ku.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈku/

• Audio:

  (file)

• 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

Somali

Preposition

kú (comitative la, allative u, ablative ka)

1. in
2. with (by means of)

References

• “ku”, in Qaamuuska Af-Soomaaliga, 2012

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

• Eino Koponen, Klaas Ruppel, Kirsti Aapala, editors (2002–2008), Álgu database: Etymological database of the Saami languages‎^[11], 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): /kuː/
• Rhymes: -uː

Adverb

ku

1. not

Derived terms

• ku kèku

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
• keväzʹku
• kulehtez
• külʹmku
• reduku
• semendku
• sulaku
• sügüzʹku
• talʹvku
• uhoku
• uzʹku
• 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]‎^[12], Petrozavodsk: Periodika

Votic

Etymology

Derived from Proto-Finnic *ku (probably mostly from the instructive singular *kun). Cognate with Finnish kun and Ingrian ku.

Pronunciation

• (Luutsa, Liivčülä) IPA^(key): /ˈku/, [ˈku]
• (Jõgõperä) IPA^(key): /ˈku/, [ˈku]
• (Central Votic) IPA^(key): /ˈku/, [ˈku]
• (Eastern Votic) 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]‎^[13], 2nd edition, Tallinn

Wakhi

Pronoun

ku

1. who

Xârâcùù

Etymology

From Proto-Oceanic *qupi, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *qubi, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *qubi, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *qubi.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ku]

Noun

ku

1. yam

References

• Moyse-Faurie, Claire (1986), “ku”, in Dictionnaire xârâcùù-français (Nouvelle-Calédonie)‎^[14] (in French), Leuven, Belgium: Peeters Publishers, page 96

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”)