gua

Asturian

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

Noun

gua m (uncountable)

1. marbles (game)

Betawi

Alternative forms

• guah (Bekasi dialect)
• gue (Tanah Abang dialect)
• guè (Meester dialect)

Etymology

From Chinese Hokkien 我 (góa, “I, me, my”).

Pronunciation

• (literary) IPA^(key): /ɡuˈ(w)a/
• (Bekasi) IPA^(key): /ɡuˈ(w)ah/
• (Tanah Abang) IPA^(key): /ɡuˈ(w)əː/
• (Meester) IPA^(key): /ɡuˈ(w)ɛ/

• Literary dialect

  (file)

• Meester dialect

  (file)

• Hyphenation: gu‧a

Pronoun

gua

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)

Usage notes

• Used mainly in a common situation, especially between friends or by someone older in terms of speaking to a younger person. As for the usage by a younger person speaking with an older person, there is no agreement whether it is appropriate to do so or not: some would regard it as inappropriate, some other would not.

Synonyms

• ané
• kita (euphemistic)

Brunei Malay

Etymology

Ultimately from Sanskrit गुहा (guhā). Cognate with Malay gua (“cave”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡua/
• Hyphenation: gu‧a

Noun

gua

1. cave (natural cavity formed underground)

Garo

Etymology

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

Noun

gua

1. (botany) Areca palm, Areca nut

References

• Burling, R. (2003) The Language of the Modhupur Mandi (Garo) Vol. II: The Lexicon‎, Bangladesh: University of Michigan

Guaraní

Preposition

gua

1. from

References

Glosbe

Iban

Etymology

Ultimately from Sanskrit गुहा (guhā). Cognate with Malay gua (“cave”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡua/

Noun

gua

1. cave (natural cavity formed underground)

Indonesian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡua/
• Hyphenation: gua

Etymology 1

From Malay gua, from Sanskrit गुहा (guhā, “cave”).

Noun

gua

1. cave

Alternative forms

• goa

Etymology 2

From Betawi Udik gua (“I, me, my”), from Chinese Hokkien 我 (góa, “I, me, my”). Doublet of gue.

Pronoun

gua

1. (Jakarta, slang) First-person singular pronoun: I, me, my

Alternative forms

• wa (texting)
• gw (texting)

Synonyms

Indonesian first-person pronouns:

• aye, ogut, gue, gua (Jakarta)
• aku (informal)
• daku (poetic)
• saya (formal)
• hamba
• kami (euphemism)

Further reading

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

Malay

Etymology 1

From Hokkien 我 (góa).

Pronunciation

• (Johor-Selangor) IPA^(key): /ɡuə/
• (Riau-Lingga) IPA^(key): /ɡua/
• Rhymes: -uə, -wə, -ə
• Rhymes: -a

Pronoun

gua (Jawi spelling ݢوا)

1. (Malaysia) I, me, my

See also

• aku
• saya

Etymology 2

From Sanskrit गुहा (guhā, “cave”).

Noun

gua (Jawi spelling ݢوا, plural gua-gua, informal 1st possessive guaku, 2nd possessive guamu, 3rd possessive guanya)

1. cave

Mandarin

Romanization

gua

1. Nonstandard spelling of guā.
2. Nonstandard spelling of guǎ.
3. Nonstandard spelling of guà.

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.

West Makian

Etymology

Likely cognate with Tabaru goa and possibly Ternate ugu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡu.a/

Noun

gua

1. the buttocks

   Synonym: pani

References

• Clemens Voorhoeve (1982) The Makian languages and their neighbours‎, Pacific linguistics

Zou

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡu˧.(w)a˧/

Noun

gua

1. bamboo

References

• Lukram Himmat Singh (2013) A Descriptive Grammar of Zou, Canchipur: Manipur University, page 45