کو

Alviri-Vidari

Adverb

کو (ko)

1. (interrogative) where

Related terms

• کده (kode)

Deccani

Etymology

Ultimately from a derivative of Sanskrit कृ (kṛ, “to do”). Compare Hindi को (ko) / Urdu کو (ko), Braj कौ (kau).

Postposition

کو (kū)

1. marks the dative case: to

   میرے کو ― mere kū ― to me

Malay

Pronoun

کو

1. Jawi spelling of ku

See also

Persian

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Adverb

کو • (ku)

1. (colloquial or poetic) where is...

   Synonym: کجاست (kojâ-st)

   مدادت کو؟ ― medâd-et ku? ― Where is your pencil?

   مرده کو؟ (colloquial) ― mard-e ku? ― Where is the man?

   • c. 1260s, Jalāl ad-Dīn Mohammad Rūmī, translated by Reynold A. Nicholson, مثنوی معنوی [Masnavi-ye-Ma'navi], volume III, verse 1174:

     بعد از آن گفتند ای مادر بیا / گور بابا کو تو ما را ره نما

     ba'd az ân goftand ey mâdar biy-â / gur-e bâbâ ku to mâ râ rah namâ

     Afterwards they said, "Come, O mother, where is our father's grave? Do thou show us the way."

   • late 1300s, Xāja Shams-ud-Dīn Moḥammad Ḥāfeẓ-e Shīrāzī, “Ghazal 470 (Sīne mālāmāl-e dard ast)”, in دیوان حافظ:

     سوختم در چاه صبر از بهر آن شمع چگل
     شاه ترکان فارغ است از حال ما کو رستمی

     suxtam dar čâh-e sabr az bahr-e ân šam'-e čegel
     šâh-e torkân fâreğ ast az hâl-e mâ ku rostami

     I burnt in the well of patience on account of that candle of Chigil;
     The king of the Turks cares not for my condition, where is a Rostam?

2. (archaic) where
   • (Can we date this quote?), Hakim Nizāmi Ganjavi, “baxš 28 (nešastan-e Bahrām ruz-e došanbe dar gonbad sabz o afsāne goftan doxtar-e pādšāh-e eqlim sevom)”, in هفت پیکر:

     کو شد آن دعوی دوازده فن
     و آن همه مردی این نه مرد و نه زن

     ku šod ân davi davâzdah fan
     vânhame mardi in na mard o na zan

     ;
     

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Noun

کو • (ku)

1. Alternative form of کوی (kuy, “street; city block”).

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

Contraction

کو • (ku)

1. Contraction of که او (ke u, “that he/she...; which...”).
   • c. 1260s, Jalāl ad-Dīn Mohammad Rūmī, translated by Reynold A. Nicholson, مثنوی معنوی [Masnavi-ye-Ma'navi], volume III, verse 4:

     این چراغ شمس کو روشن بود / نه از فتیل و پنبه و روغن بود

     in čerâğ šams ku rowšan bud / na az fatil o panbe o rowğan bud

     This lamp, the sun, which is bright—it is not by means of wick and cotton and oil.

Urdu

Etymology

Inherited from Old Hindi काहू (kāhū), काहु (kāhu), from Sauraseni Prakrit , from Sanskrit कक्षे (kákṣe, “in the armpit”), locative singular of कक्ष (kákṣa, “armpit”), from Proto-Indo-Aryan *káṭṣas, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *káćšas, from Proto-Indo-European *kóḱsos (“joint”). Compare Deccani کو (kū), Braj कौ (kau), Assamese -ক (-k).

The semantic development of the terms was in the armpit > at the side > towards > to. Deccani (and other Southern dialects of Hindustani) had a parallel development which also includes a locative sense.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /koː/

Postposition

کو • (ko) (Hindi spelling को)

1. marks the dative case: to

   میرے بھائی کو پانی دیں۔ ― mere bhāī ko pānī dẽ. ― Please give some water to my elder brother.

   لاہور کو ― lāhaur ko ― to Lahore

   اوپر کو ― ūpar ko ― upwards

2. in, at the time of

   میں شام کو گھر لوٹوں گا۔ ― ma͠i śām ko ghar lauṭū̃ gā. ― I will return home in the evening.

Usage notes

کو (ko) marks the dative. It can be used as a postfix similar to -wards (e.g. اوپر کو (ūpar ko, “upwards”); آگے کو (āge ko, “afterwards”)).

It is suffixed to oblique forms of pronouns as well, e.g. the dative of میں (ma͠i, “I”) is مجھ کو (mujh ko).

References

• McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993) “को”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press
• Platts, John T. (1884) “کو”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co.
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “ká”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press