zu

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See also: Appendix:Variations of "zu"

Translingual

Symbol

zu

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

Angami

Alternative forms

Noun

zu

  1. water
  2. fermented rice beer

References

  • Visier Sanyu, A history of Nagas and Nagaland (1996, →ISBN, page 51 (zu, rice beer)
  • Robert Gordon Latham, Elements of Comparative Philology, page 31 (Angami wordlist) (zu, water)
  • The Journal of the Indian Archipelago and Eastern Asia (James Richardson Logan), volume 10 (1970) (Angami zu, water; mentions dzu)

Basque

Etymology

From Proto-Basque *zu, originally a second-person plural pronoun. Over time, it came to be used as a polite second-person singular pronoun; while hi went from being a general second-person singular pronoun to a strictly informal one. In all the written record it appears as a singular pronoun, but it might have survived as a plural pronoun up to the nineteenth century in parts of Biscay.

Pronunciation

  • Audio(file)

Pronoun

zu

  1. Second-person singular personal pronoun; you

Declension

Declension of Basque personal pronouns
Common pronouns
singular plural
1st person 2nd person (informal) 2nd person (neutral) 1st person 2nd person
absolutive ni hi zu gu zuek
ergative nik hik zuk guk
dative niri hiri zuri guri zuei
genitive nire,
ene 		hire zure gure zuen
comitative nirekin,
enekin 		hirekin zurekin gurekin zuekin
causative nigatik, niregatik,
enegatik 		higatik, hiregatik zugatik, zuregatik gugatik, guregatik zuengatik
benefactive niretzat, niretako,
enetzat,enetako 		hiretzat, hiretako zuretzat, zuretako guretzat, guretako zuentzat, zuendako
instrumental nitaz hitaz zutaz gutaz zuetaz
inessive nigan, niregan, nire baitan, nitan,
enegan, ene baitan 		higan, hiregan, hire baitan, hitan zugan, zuregan, zure baitan, zutan gugan, guregan, gure baitan, gutan zuengan, zuen baitan, zuetan
locative nire baitako, ene baitako hire baitako gu baitako, gure baitako zu baitako, zure baitako zuen baitako
allative niregana, nireganat, nire baitara, nire baitarat,
enegana, eneganat, ene baitara, ene baitarat 		hiregana, hireganat, hire baitara, hire baitarat zugana, zuregana, zuganat, zureganat,
zu baitara, zure baitara, zu baitarat, zure baitarat 		gugana, guregana, guganat, gureganat,
gu baitara, gure baitara, gu baitarat, gure baitarat 		zuengana, zuenganat,
zuen baitara, zuen baitarat
terminative nireganaino, nire baitaraino,
eneganaino 		higanaino, hireganaino,
hire baitaraino 		zuganaino, zureganaino,
zu baitaraino, zure baitaraino 		guganaino, gureganaino,
gu baitaraino, gure baitaraino 		zuenganaino,
zuen baitaraino
directive niganantz, nireganantz,
eneganantz 		higanantz, hireganantz zuganantz, zureganantz guganantz, gureganantz zuenganantz
destinative niganako, nireganako,
eneganako 		higanako, hireganako zuganako, zureganako guganako, gureganako zuenganako
ablative nireganik, niregandik, nire baitatik, nire baitarik,
eneganik, enegandik, ene baitatik, ene baitarik 		higanik, hireganik, higandik, hiregandik,
hire baitatik, hire baitarik 		zuganik, zureganik, zugandik, zuregandik,
zu baitatik, zu baitarik, zure baitatik, zure baitarik 		guganik, gureganik, gugandik, guregandik,
gu baitatik, gu baitarik, gure baitatik, gure baitarik 		zuenganik, zuengandik,
zuen baitatik, zuen baitarik
Emphatic pronouns
absolutive neu heu zeu geu zeuek
ergative neuk heuk zeuk geuk
dative neuri heuri zeuri geuri zeuei
genitive neure heure zeure geure zeuen
comitative neurekin heurekin zeurekin geurekin zeuekin
causative neugatik, neuregatik heugatik, heuregatik zugatik, zuregatik gugatik, guregatik zuengatik
benefactive neuretzat, neuretako heuretzat, heuretako zeuretzat, zeuretako geuretzat, geuretako zeuentzat, zeuendako
instrumental neutaz heutaz zeutaz geutaz zeuetaz
inessive neugan heuregan, heure baitan zeugan, zeuregan geugan, geuregan zeuengan
locative neure baitako heure baitako zeure baitako geure baitako zeuen baitako
allative neuregana heugana, heuregana, heure baitara, heure baitarat zeugana, zeuregana geugana, geuregana zeuengana
terminative neuregaino heuganaino, heureganaino, heure baitaraino zeuganaino, zeureganaino geuganaino, geureganaino zeuenganaino
directive neuganantz heuganantz, heureganantz zeuganantz, zeureganantz geuganantz, geureganantz zeuenganantz
destinative neureganako heuganako, heureganako zeuganako, zeureganako geuganako, geureganako zeuenganako
ablative neuganik, neugandik heuganik, heureganik, heugandik, heuregandik,
heure baitatik, heure baitarik 		zeuganik, zeureganik, zeugandik, zeuregandik geuganik, geureganik, geugandik, geuregandik zeuenganik, zeuengandik

Related terms

References

  1. ^ “zu” in Etymological Dictionary of Basque by R. L. Trask, sussex.ac.uk

Further reading

  • "zu" in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia , euskaltzaindia.eus
  • “zu” in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia , euskaltzaindia.eus

German

Alternative forms

Etymology

From a spelling merger of two interrelated adpreps: 1.) Middle High German ze, from Old High German za, zi, from Proto-Germanic *ta; and 2.) Middle High German zuo, from Old High German zuo, from Proto-Germanic *tō. A distinction between both words has widely been retained in dialects, and also to some degree in modern spoken German (see pronunciation section below). Cognate with Silesian East Central German zu (contractions with the definite article: zum m or n, zur f); Dutch te, toe; Old Saxon tō; English to, too.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /t͡suː/ (standard)
  • audio(file)
  • audio(file)
  • IPA(key): /t͡sə/ (variant in colloquial speech; chiefly with infinitives (particle) and adjectives (meaning “too”))
  • Rhymes: -uː

Preposition

zu (+ dative)

  1. to, towards (indicates directionality)
    zum Bahnhof ― to the train station
  2. with respect to; regarding
    Zu Punkt 1 möchte ich bemerken, dass...
    With respect to item 1, let me remark that...
  3. along with; with (accompanying (the main thing in question))
    Wasser zum Essen trinken ― to drink water with one’s meal
  4. at, on (indicates location)
    zu Hause ― at home
  5. at (indicates time)
    zur richtigen Zeit ― at the right time
    zu Beginn ― at the beginning
  6. by, in, on, at (indicates mode (of transportation, speech, etc.))
    zu Pferd ― on horseback
  7. (with a verb) for; (with a noun) as, by way of (for the purpose of)
  8. for (in honor of, or directed towards the celebration or event of)
  9. into (indicates transition into another form or substance)
  10. as, for, to be (to take on the role of)
  11. to (used to indicate ratios)
  12. at (denotes a price or rate)

Derived terms

  • (zu + dem) zum m or n
  • (zu + der) zur f
  • (zu + den) zun pl (obsolete)

Particle

zu

  1. (with infinitives of verbs) to
    etwas zu essen ― something to eat

Adverb

zu

  1. (with adjectives and adverbs) too (excessively)
    zu schnell ― too fast
  2. (by extension, slang) An intensifier.
    Dieses Essen ist zu lecker! ― This food tastes so good!
  3. towards; at
  4. (somewhat informal) shut; closed; locked
    Synonym: geschlossen
    Antonyms: auf, offen, geöffnet
  5. ahead, on (along, forwards (continuing an action))
  6. (colloquial) As a separated part of dazu or wozu
    "Wann willst du denn los?"
    "Um 10? Nur wenn du da Lust zu hast."
    "When did you wanna go?"
    "At 10? Only if you're up for it."

Usage notes

(intensifier): Always stressed. Compare English so (“very much”).

Derived terms

Adjective

zu (indeclinable, predicative only)

  1. (somewhat informal) shut, closed (made inaccessible or impassable; not open)
    Synonym: geschlossen
    Das Geschäft war zu.
    The shop was closed.
    Die Tür muss aus Brandschutzgründen immer zu sein.
    This door must be shut at all times for reasons of fire safety.
    Die Tür ist zu, ich komm nicht rein.
    The door is locked, I can’t get in there.
  2. closed (not operating or conducting trade)
  3. done up (fastened)
  4. (slang) hammered; very drunk

Declension

Indeclinable, predicative-only.

Related terms

Further reading

Japanese

Romanization

zu

  1. Rōmaji transcription of ず
  2. Rōmaji transcription of ズ
  3. Rōmaji transcription of づ
  4. Rōmaji transcription of ヅ

Korak

Noun

zu

  1. water

Further reading

Luxembourgish

Etymology

Reduced form of zou, from Middle High German zuo, from Old High German zuo, from Proto-Germanic *tō.

Pronunciation

Preposition

zu (+ dative)

  1. at, in
    Ech wunnen zu Réiden. ― I live in Redange.
  2. with respect to, regarding
  3. for (the purpose of)
    Dat Blietchen ass nëmmen zu denger Informatioun. ― The leaflet is just for your information.
  4. (rare) to, towards

Usage notes

  • The adverbial form of zu, used e.g. in compound verbs, is zou.
  • With the singular forms of the definite article, zu may contract to zum (zu dem) and zur (zu der).

Synonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Adverb

zu

  1. (when stressed) Alternative form of ze (“too”)
    Dat ass net nëmme vill, dat ass zu vill.
    It’s not just much, it’s too much.

Mandarin

Romanization

zu

  1. Nonstandard spelling of zū.
  2. Nonstandard spelling of zú.
  3. Nonstandard spelling of zǔ.
  4. Nonstandard spelling of zù.

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.

Pennsylvania German

Etymology

Compare German zu, Dutch te, English to.

Preposition

zu

  1. at, to

Sicilian

Etimology 1

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /t͡sʊ/,
  • Hyphenation: zu

Noun

zu

  1. Alternative form of ziu
    Ou, cucì, ti saluta u zu Ninu. ― Hey, bro, “uncle” Ninu greets you.

Etimology 2

Uncertain.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈt͡su/,
  • Hyphenation: zu

Interjection

zu

  1. (South-east of Sicily) Used to express astonishment, awe, amazement; exclamation at a sudden discovery.
    Zu! ― Wow!
  2. (South-east of Sicily, invocational) Prefixed as an exclamation in immediate and laconic vocative.
    Zu, lu porcu! ― No way, you're a pig!
    Zu, lu jencu! ― No way, you're a bullock!
    Zu, lu crastu! ― No way, you're a ram!
    Zu, lu bestia! ― No way, you're rough!
Translation notes
  • This kind of interjection is colloquial, local and barely translatable. It can be vaguely approximated to English “Hey, you behave like an <animal>”, in a context of speakers who know the stereotyped characteristics of that given animal.
Usage notes
  • It can express a wide range of feelings and meanings, depending on the context.
  • Generally perceived as vulgar by Sicilians who do not speak this south-eastern dialect variant.

Related terms

Sumerian

Romanization

zu

  1. Romanization of 𒍪 (zu)

Volapük

Conjunction

zu

  1. in addition
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