kou

See also: Appendix:Variations of "kou"

Chuukese

Etymology

Borrowed from English cow.

Noun

kou

1. cow

Dutch

Etymology

From older koude, from Middle Dutch coude, alteration (based on the adjective) of kelde, from Old Dutch *keldi, from Proto-West Germanic *kaldī. Cognate with German Kälte.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɑu̯/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: kou
• Rhymes: -ɑu̯
• Homophones: kauw, kouw

Noun

kou f (uncountable, diminutive koutje n)

1. cold (low temperature)
2. cold (illness)

   Synonym: verkoudheid

Alternative forms

• koude, kouwe

Derived terms

• kou vatten
• koukleum
• vrieskou

Haitian Creole

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ku/

Etymology 1

From French cou (“neck”).

Noun

kou

1. neck

Etymology 2

From French coup.

Noun

kou

1. blow, strike

Related terms

• koudam
• koudèy
• koupe
• kout

Hawaiian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkou̯/, [ˈkow]

Etymology 1

From Proto-Nuclear Polynesian *tou, from Proto-Polynesian *te-o-u (“second person singular possessive, o-class”). Cognate with Maori tōu.

Determiner

kou

1. your second person singular, o-type

Related terms

• ou
• nou

See also

Hawaiian possessive pronouns

			singular	dual	plural
1st person			koʻu, kaʻu kuʻu (affectionate, o- and a-type)	ko māua, kā māua (exclusive) ko kāua, kā kāua (inclusive)	ko mākou, kā mākou (exclusive) ko kākou, kā kākou (inclusive)
2nd person			kou, kāu kō (affectionate, o- and a-type)	ko ʻolua, kā ʻolua	ko ʻoukou, kā ʻoukou
3rd person			kona, kāna	ko lāua, kā lāua	ko lākou, kā lākou

The o-type forms are used for possessions that are inherited, out of personal control, and for things that can be got into (houses, clothes, cars). The a-type forms are used for acquired possessions.

Etymology 2

From Proto-Polynesian *tou (“species of Cordia”), from Proto-Oceanic *koʀu (“Cordia subcordata”).

Noun

kou

1. Cordia subcordata (a tree with wood highly valued for woodworking)

Further reading

• kou in Combined Hawaiian Dictionary, at trussel2.com.

Japanese

Romanization

kou

1. Rōmaji transcription of こう

Lindu

Noun

kou

1. wood

Mandarin

Romanization

kou

1. nonstandard spelling of kōu
2. nonstandard spelling of kǒu
3. nonstandard spelling of kòu

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

• ku

Etymology 1

From French cou.

Noun

kou

1. neck

Etymology 2

From French coup.

Noun

kou

1. blow; strike

Derived terms

• enn kou

West Makian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈko.u/

Verb

kou

1. (intransitive) to break (of wood, etc.)

Conjugation

Conjugation of kou (action verb)

		singular	plural
			inclusive	exclusive
1st person		tokou	mokou	akou
2nd person		nokou	fokou
3rd person	inanimate	ikou	dokou
	animate
imperative		nokou, kou	fokou, kou

References

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