kuwan

Bikol Central

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kuˈan/,
• Hyphenation: ku‧wan

Noun

kuwán (Basahan spelling ᜃᜓᜏᜈ᜔)

1. so-and-so, whatchamacallit

   Synonym: kuyan

Tagalog

Alternative forms

• coan, couan — obsolete, Spanish-based orthography

Etymology

Possibly either from the following:

• From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kuan (“to speak, talk”), or derived from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kua (“whatchamacallit”). Cognate with Ilocano kua, Cebuano kuan, Tausug kuwan, Karo Batak er-kuan (“to speak”), and Tontemboan kuan (“what is said or thought”).
• From Sanskrit क्व (kva, “somewhere”), according to Potet (2016).
• From a corruption of Spanish cuál (“what”), according to Panganiban (1973).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kuˈan/,
• Hyphenation: ku‧wan

Noun

kuwán (Baybayin spelling ᜃᜓᜏᜈ᜔)

1. so-and-so, whatchamacallit (placeholder name for a person or thing)

Derived terms

See also

Further reading

• “kuwan”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018
• Potet, Jean-Paul G. (2016) Tagalog Borrowings and Cognates, Lulu Press, →ISBN, page 286
• Panganiban, José Villa (1973) Diksyunaryo-Tesauro Pilipino-Ingles, Quezon City: Manlapaz Publishing Co., page 327
• San Buena Ventura, Fr. Pedro de (1613) Juan de Silva, editor, Vocabulario de lengua tagala: El romance castellano puesto primero‎, La Noble Villa de Pila
  • page 327: “Fulano) Covan bordonçillo que tienen eſtos como en eſpañol como , pero eſtos ncada paſo lo diçen como noſe acuerden del nombre propio, vt. , ſulano caſambil.”
  • page 358: “Hulano) Covan bordonçillo vſado entre eſtos ſiao ſe acuerdan de lo quee van a deçir, vt. covã dico naalala, como ſe diço a que nome acuerdo, ſi covan, hulano”