ու

See also -ու

Armenian

Pronunciation

• IPA: [u]

• Audio

  (file)

Etymology 1

From Old Armenian digraph ու representing IPA: [u], composed of ո (o) + ւ (w), calque from Ancient Greek ΟΥ representing IPA: [u].

Letter

ու

ու lowercase (uppercase ՈՒ, title-case Ու)

1. The 34th letter of Armenian alphabet according to spelling reform of the Armenian language of 1922-1924. Represents close back rounded vowel: IPA: [u]. Transliterated as u (sometimes as ow).

Usage notes

• This letter was created in the result of spelling reform of the Armenian language during Soviet era (1922-1924). The reform was not accepted by the Armenian diaspora outside the USSR, which continues to treat ու as a simple digraph of ո + ւ and not as an independent letter, in line with Traditional Armenian orthography.
• When used in sentence case, such as Ուրարտու (Urartu), the capital form of the letter is Ու. However, in all caps text it is ՈՒ, e.g. ՈՒՇԱԴՐՈՒԹՅՈՒՆ (UŠADRUT’YUN).

See also

• (The Armenian script): Աա   Բբ   Գգ   Դդ   Եե   Զզ   Էէ   Ըը   Թթ   Ժժ   Իի   Լլ   Խխ   Ծծ   Կկ   Հհ   Ձձ   Ղղ   Ճճ   Մմ   Յյ   Նն   Շշ   Ոո   Չչ   Պպ   Ջջ   Ռռ   Սս   Վվ   Տտ   Րր   Ցց   Ււ   Փփ   Քք   Օօ   Ֆֆ
• (Letter combinations): ու   և   ﬔ   ﬕ   ﬓ   ﬗ   ﬖ
• (Punctuation):  ՙ    ՚   ՛   ՜   ՝   ՞   ՟   ։   ֊

Etymology 2

Conjunction

ու • (u)

1. and

   ես ու դու (es u du) — me and you

Usage notes

Generally used to link two things in close relation, such as in English you and I or in the sense of combining two clauses of close relation while deemphasizing their relationship. In English, this would generally be done by combining predicates, as in I went to the store and bought ice cream. It is never used as a conjunction in the fashion of և (ev), which is used as a coordinating conjunction between two independent clauses, as in I went to the store, and I bought ice cream.

Synonyms

• և (ev)

External links

• Search “ու” in the Eastern Armenian National Corpus.