ou

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

English

Etymology 1

From Hawaiian ʻōʻū.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈəʊ.uː/
  • Audio (Southern England)(file)

Noun

ou (plural ous)

  1. A probably extinct species of Hawaiian honeycreeper, Psittirostra psittacea.
Translations
Further reading

Etymology 2

From Afrikaans ou, probably from Dutch ouwe (“old man”).

Pronunciation

Noun

ou (plural ous or ouens)

  1. (South Africa, colloquial) A fellow, guy, bloke.
    • 1962, Jeremy Taylor (lyrics and music), “Ag Pleez Deddy”:
      Ag pleez Deddy won't you take us to the wrestling
      We wanna see an ou called Sky High Lee
    • 1975, Sheila Roberts, Outside Life's Feast: Short Stories, Johannesburg: Ad. Donker, →ISBN, page 27:
      I couldn't care that the ous call me rooinek and sometimes whiterat because of my hair and face. At least I am not a hairyback I tell them.
    • 1978, André Brink, Rumours of Rain, Vintage, published 2000, page 292:
      “They're the same good and solid ous they'd been before. Because they managed not to think.”

Anagrams

Afrikaans

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Probably from ouwe, from Dutch oude

Noun

ou (plural ouens, diminutive outjie)

  1. an old fellow, guy, bloke
    Synonym: kêrel

Etymology 2

From Dutch ouwe.

Adjective

ou

  1. attributive form of oud

Aneme Wake

Noun

ou

  1. cloud

Aromanian

Etymology 1

Inherited from Classical Latin ōvum, possibly via Vulgar Latin (*)ŏvum. Compare Romanian ou.

Noun

ou n (plural oauã, definite singular oulu, definite plural oauãli)

  1. egg
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Verb based on etymology 1.

Verb

ou first-singular present indicative (past participle uoatã)

  1. Alternative form of oauã to lay an egg (like a hen)
Related terms

Bonggi

Pronoun

ou

  1. I

References

Catalan

Etymology 1

Inherited from Vulgar Latin (*)ŏvum, from Classical Latin ōvum.

Pronunciation

Noun

ou m (plural ous)

  1. egg
  2. (colloquial) ball, testicle

References

Etymology 2

Onomatopoeic.

Pronunciation

Interjection

ou

  1. (Mallorca, Menorca) whoa! (command to an animal to stop)

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

Verb

ou

  1. (Valencia, Northern Calatan) inflection of oir:
    1. third-person singular present indicative
    2. second-person singular imperative

Estonian

Etymology

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

Interjection

ou

  1. (colloquial) oi!, hey!, used for calling out to someone

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French ou, from Latin aut.

Pronunciation

Conjunction

ou

  1. or
    • 2011, Christian Depover, Thierry Karsenti, Enseigner avec les technologies: Favoriser les apprentissages, développer des compétences, PUQ, →ISBN:
      La baladodiffusion est ainsi utilisée comme outil à potentiel cognitif, parce qu’elle permet, relativement facilement, de diffuser un contenu audio ou vidéo qui peut, par la suite, être écouté ou vu à tout moment par l’apprenant.
      Therefore, podcasting is used as a tool for cognitive potential, because it allows for the relatively easy distribution of audio or video content, which, as a result, can be listened to or watched at any moment by the learner.
  2. either...or
    Ou il est fou ou il est bête.
    Either he's mad or he's stupid.

Derived terms

See also

References

  1. ^ Picoche, Jacqueline with Jean-Claude Rolland (2009) “ou”, in Dictionnaire étymologique du français (in French), Paris: Dictionnaires Le Robert

Further reading

Galician

Etymology 1

From Old Galician-Portuguese ou, from Latin aut.

Pronunciation

Conjunction

ou

  1. or

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Interjection

ou!

  1. whoa! (order for cattle)
    Synonym: xo
  2. oh! (vocative)
    • 1775, María Francisca Isla y Losada, Romance:
      Ôu mèu Crego? Seica qués,
      que eu vote a lengoa â pastàr?
      Catao ben, e despois non
      che pese, ò que ágora fás.
      Se contra toda concencia
      pensache de min tàn màl,
      e estou quixòsa, ¿por que
      non me has ti de aloumiñar?
      Oh, my clergyman? Perchance you want
      that I let my tongue free range?
      Watch it carefully, or either don't you later
      regret what you do now.
      If against all conscience
      You thought so badly of me
      And I'm cranky, why
      wouldn't you cherish me?

References

  • “ou” in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval, SLI - ILGA 2006–2022.
  • “ou” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006–2013.
  • “ou” in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago: ILG.
  • “ou” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.

Haitian Creole

Etymology

Possibly from French vous (“you”)

Pronunciation

  1. IPA(key): /u/

Letter

ou (upper case Ou)

  1. A letter of the Haitian Creole alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Pronoun

ou (contracted form w)

  1. you (singular)

Hawaiian

Pronoun

ou

  1. yours, your Second person singular possessive, o-type.

Usage notes

  • Used after negatives, numbers, locative nouns, certain prepositions, and after nouns preceded by an article or a k-determiner.

Related terms

Italian

Interjection

ou

  1. (usually impolite) used to get someone's attention; oi, hey
    Ou, mi stai ascoltando? ― Oi, are you listening to me?

Jamaican Creole

Etymology

Derived from English how.

Pronunciation

Adverb

ou

  1. how
    ou iz it?
    how is it?
    (literally, “How are things?/How are you?”)
    ou kom?
    how come?
    • 2019, “Recognize Patois As An Official Language; Says UWI”, in JamaicanInsider.com‎:
      Juu tu ou Jamiekan a di wan langwij we bring evri Jamiekan tugeda;
      Due to how Jamaican is the language that brings all Jamaicans together;

Japanese

Romanization

ou

  1. Rōmaji transcription of おう

Mandarin

Romanization

ou (ou5／ou0, Zhuyin ˙ㄡ)

  1. Hanyu Pinyin reading of cmn, 嘔／呕

Romanization

ou

  1. Nonstandard spelling of ōu.
  2. Nonstandard spelling of óu.
  3. Nonstandard spelling of ǒu.
  4. Nonstandard spelling of òu.

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

Alternative forms

Etymology

Probably from French vous; compare Haitian Creole ou.

Pronoun

ou (informal to)

  1. you (second-person singular formal personal pronoun)

See also

Mauritian Creole personal pronouns
singular plural
1st person mo
mwa (objective) 		nou
2nd person to (informal), ou (formal)
twa (objective) 		zot
3rd person li zot, bann-la

Middle English

Pronoun

ou

  1. Alternative form of yow

Middle French

Preposition

ou

  1. within
    • 15th century, Chronique de Charles VII roi de France par Jean Chartier, Tomé II, edited by Vallet de Viriville. Paris: P. Jannet, 1858, page 18.
      Discord et division ou royaulme de Castile.
      Discord and division within the kingdom of Castile

Norman

Etymology

From Old French ou, from Latin aut.

Conjunction

ou

  1. (France, Guernsey) or

Old French

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Latin aut.

Conjunction

ou

  1. or
Descendants
  • French: ou

Etymology 2

From Latin ubi.

Adverb

ou

  1. where
    • 11th century, La Vie de Saint Alexis, BNF manuscript 19525
      Dona as povres ou qu'il les pout trouver
      He gave to the poor wherever he could find them
Descendants
  • Middle French: où

Portuguese

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese ou, from Latin aut.

Pronunciation

 

  • Audio(file)
  • Rhymes: -ow
  • Hyphenation: ou

Conjunction

ou

  1. or (connects at least two alternative words, phrases, clauses, sentences, etc. each of which could make a passage true)
    Escolhe a opção um ou a opção dois.
    Choose option one or option two.
  2. or (connects two equivalent names)
    Synonym: também
    Mianmar, ou Birmânia, fica na Ásia.
    Myanmar, or Burma, is located in Asia.

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:ou.

Descendants

  • Macanese: ó

Conjunction

ou … ou

  1. either … or

Noun

ou m (plural ous)

  1. (logic) inclusive or (connective which yields true when at least one of the predicates is true)

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:ou.

Derived terms

Romanian

Etymology

Inherited from Classical Latin ōvum, possibly via Vulgar Latin (*)ŏvum.

Pronunciation

Noun

ou n (plural ouă)

  1. egg
  2. (slang, chiefly in the plural) ball (testicle)

Declension

Declension of ou
singular plural
indefinite articulation definite articulation indefinite articulation definite articulation
nominative/accusative (un) ou oul (niște) ouă ouăle
genitive/dative (unui) ou oului (unor) ouă ouălor
vocative oule ouălor

Related terms

Sardinian

Alternative forms

Etymology

Inherited from Classical Latin ōvum, possibly via Vulgar Latin (*)ŏvum.

Pronunciation

Noun

ou m (plural ovos) (Logudorese, Campidanese)

  1. egg

References

  • AIS: Sprach- und Sachatlas Italiens und der Südschweiz – map 1132: “l'uovo guasto” – on navigais-web.pd.istc.cnr.it
  • Wagner, Max Leopold (1960–1964) “óvu”, in Dizionario etimologico sardo, Heidelberg

Saterland Frisian

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old Frisian of, from Proto-West Germanic *ab, from Proto-Germanic *ab. Cognates include West Frisian ôf and German ab.

Pronunciation

Preposition

ou (neuter or distal adverb deerou, proximal adverb hierou, interrogative adverb wierou)

  1. from

Adjective

ou (masculine ouen, feminine, plural or definite oue)

  1. detached
  2. tired
  3. distant
  4. (games) out

References

  • Marron C. Fort (2015) “ou”, in Saterfriesisches Wörterbuch mit einer phonologischen und grammatischen Übersicht, Buske, →ISBN

Sicilian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɔu/
  • Hyphenation: ò‧u

Etymology 1

Noun

ou m (plural ova)

  1. Alternative form of ovu

Etymology 2

Onomatopoeic.

Interjection

ou

  1. an exclamation to get attention.
    Ou, talè cca
    Hey, look at this!
    Ou! Ascuta!
    Hey! Listen!
  2. a protest or reprimand.
    Ou! Tàgghiala!
    Hey! Stop that!
  3. an expression of surprise.
    Ou! Quant'avìa ca nun ti vidìa!
    Hey! How long had I not seen you!
  4. an informal greeting, similar to ciau.
    Ou! Comu jemu?
    Hey! How's it going?
Synonyms

Suena

Noun

ou

  1. water

References

  • Transnewguinea.org, citing McElhanon and Voorhoeve (1970), Smallhorn (2011) and Wilson (1969)

Tongan

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *au, from Proto-Oceanic *(i-)au, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *(i-)aku, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *(i-)aku, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(i-)aku, from Proto-Austronesian *(i-)aku.

Pronunciation

Pronoun

ou

  1. Alternative form of au

Zia

Noun

ou

  1. water

References

  • Transnewguinea.org, citing McElhanon and Voorhoeve (1970), Smallhorn (2011) and Wilson (1969)
Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia