ku

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word ku. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word ku, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say ku in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word ku you have here. The definition of the word ku will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofku, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

Translingual

Symbol

ku

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

Afar

Pronunciation

Determiner

  1. thy, your

See also

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), Paris: Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (doctoral thesis)

Ainu

Etymology 1

Alternative forms

  • (Saru, before vowels) k

Pronunciation

Pronoun

ku= (Kana spelling )

  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

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Verb

ku (Kana spelling )

  1. to drink
Derived terms
  • iku (to drink strong drink)

See also

  • e (to eat)

Albanian

Alternative forms

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 ()).

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

See also

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

References

  1. ^ Orel, Vladimir E. (1998), “ku”, in Albanian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden; Boston; Köln: Brill, →ISBN, page 207
  2. ^ Orel, Vladimir E. (1998), “ku”, in Albanian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden; Boston; Köln: Brill, →ISBN, page 206.

Further reading

  • 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, page 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

Basque

Pronunciation

Noun

ku inan

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

Declension

See also

Bura

Pronunciation

Noun

ku

  1. hole

References

Czech

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *kъ(n).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key):
  • (file)

Preposition

ku

  1. (informal) to (in the direction of, and arriving at)
    Synonyms: k, ke

Further reading

  • ku in Příruční slovník jazyka českého, 1935–1957
  • ku in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989

Ewe

Verb

kuku

  1. to die

Faroese

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin .

Noun

ku n (genitive singular kus, plural ku)

  1. The name of the Latin-script letter 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)/,
  • 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

Noun

ku m (plural kus)

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

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

Noun

(plural kú lɛ́ or kú lẹ́)

  1. death

Derived terms

Verb

  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

Verb

  1. to die

Indonesian

Pronunciation

Pronoun

ku

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

Further reading

Ingrian

Alternative forms

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

Conjunction

ku

  1. than
    • 1936, V. I. Junus, Iƶoran Keelen Grammatikka, 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

References

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

Japanese

Romanization

ku

  1. Rōmaji transcription of
  2. Rōmaji transcription of

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 (2016-12-31), “Phonology of Burmese loanwords in Jinghpaw”, in Kyoto University Linguistic Research, 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

Pronunciation

Noun

 f (indeclinable)

  1. The name of the letter Q.

Coordinate terms

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

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

Preposition

ku (with dative)

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

Malay

Alternative forms

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

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

See also

Mandarin

Romanization

ku

  1. Nonstandard spelling of .
  2. Nonstandard spelling of .
  3. Nonstandard spelling of .

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

Preposition

ku

  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 (1987-2021), “ku”, in Anna Basara, editor, Słownik gwar Ostródzkiego, Warmii i Mazur, 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

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old West Norse kýr (accusative singular ), from Proto-Germanic *kūz, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷṓws (cow).

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

References

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Old West Norse kýr (accusative singular ), from Proto-Germanic *kūz, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷṓws (cow). Akin to English cow.

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

Etymology 2

Verb

ku

  1. imperative of kua

Further reading

Old Polish

Alternative forms

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

Preposition

ku

  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:
      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
  • Silesian: ku

References

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

Verb

ku

  1. to climb

Polish

Alternative forms

Etymology

Inherited from Old Polish ku.

Pronunciation

Preposition

ku

  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 zaskoczeniuto my surprise

See also

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.

References

  1. ^ Ida Kurcz (1990), “ku”, in Słownik frekwencyjny polszczyzny współczesnej [Frequency dictionary of the Polish language] (in Polish), volume 1, Kraków; Warszawa: Polska Akademia Nauk. Instytut Języka Polskiego, page 207

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], 28.06.2018
  • 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

Inherited from Old Polish ku.

Pronunciation

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

Preposition

ku

  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)

Ter Sami

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

Pronoun

ku

  1. who

Further reading

  • Koponen, Eino; Ruppel, Klaas; Aapala, Kirsti, editors (2002–2008) Álgu database: Etymological database of the Saami languages, 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 , 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 , 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

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

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], 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/,
  • 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

Verb

  1. to die
    Ọ̀pọ̀ ló nínú ìjàǹbá yẹnMany died in that accident
    Fóònù mi ti fẹ́ nísìnyí, màá pè yín padà oMy phone's about to die now, I'll call you back
Synonyms
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Verb

  1. to remain
    Ó ku oṣù mẹ́ta kí n padà lọThere're three months left until I go back
Derived terms