ау

See also: ay and аю

Bashkir

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɑw]
• Hyphenation: ау (one syllable)

Etymology 1

From Proto-Turkic *āg (“net”). Cognate with Old Turkic 𐰍 (ǧ /⁠ag⁠/), Kazakh ау (au), Southern Altai уу (uu), Turkish ağ.

Noun

ау • (aw)

1. (hunting) trap, snare
2. (fishing) net, dragnet, seine
3. spiderweb, cobweb

Etymology 2

From Proto-Turkic *āb (“hunt, chase”).

Cognate with Old Turkic 𐰉 (ab, “hunt”), Southern Altai уу (uu), Turkish av (“hunt, hunting”).

Noun

ау • (aw)

1. hunt, hunting expedition

Declension

Declension of ау

	singular	plural
absolute	ау (aw)	ауҙар (awźar)
definite genitive	ауҙың (awźıñ)	ауҙарҙың (awźarźıñ)
dative	ауға (awğa)	ауҙарға (awźarğa)
definite accusative	ауҙы (awźı)	ауҙарҙы (awźarźı)
locative	ауҙа (awźa)	ауҙарҙа (awźarźa)
ablative	ауҙан (awźan)	ауҙарҙан (awźarźan)

Kazakh

Alternative scripts

Arabic	اۋ
Cyrillic	ау
Latin	au

Etymology 1

From Proto-Turkic *āg (“net”).

Noun

ау • (au)

1. fishing net

Synonyms

• тор (tor)

Etymology 2

From Proto-Turkic *āb (“hunt, chase”).

Noun

ау • (au)

1. (archaic) hunt, hunting expedition

Declension

Declension of ау

	singular	plural
nominative	ау (au)	аулар (aular)
genitive	аудың (audyñ)	аулардың (aulardyñ)
dative	ауға (auğa)	ауларға (aularğa)
accusative	ауды (audy)	ауларды (aulardy)
locative	ауда (auda)	ауларда (aularda)
ablative	аудан (audan)	аулардан (aulardan)
instrumental	аумен (aumen)	аулармен (aularmen)
similative	аудай (audai)	аулардай (aulardai)

Etymology 3

Interjection

ау • (au)

1. ah, oh

Macedonian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈau]

Interjection

ау • (au)

1. oh my
2. ow, ouch

Nivkh

Alternative forms

• ыу (əu) (Amur)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /au/

Noun

ау (au)

1. (Amur) voice
2. (Amur) sound

References

• 丹菊逸治 (Itsuji Tangiku) (2014), ニヴフ語サハリン方言語彙集 (“Sakhalin Nivkh word list”)‎^[1] (in Japanese), Sapporo: 北海道大学アイヌ・先住民研究センター (“Center for Ainu and Indigenous Studies, Hokkaido University”), page 11

Russian

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈaʊ]

Interjection

а́у • (áu)

1. (colloquial) huh? (used as a response to one's name being called or to indicate not quite having heard something)

   Synonyms: а (a), (diminutive) а́ушки (áuški)

   — Юль! — А́у?

   — Julʹ! — Áu?

   — Yuliya! — Huh?

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɐˈu]

Interjection

ау́ • (aú)

1. hello? (is anyone there?)
   • 2025, Soft Blade, “Ostrov”, in Softic 2‎^[2]:

     Ау́, есть кто на о́строве, и́ли я тут одна́?

     Aú, jestʹ kto na óstrove, íli ja tut odná?

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Derived terms

• ау́кать impf (aúkatʹ), ау́кнуть pf (aúknutʹ)
  • ау́каться impf (aúkatʹsja), ау́кнуться pf (aúknutʹsja)
    • как ау́кнется, так и откли́кнется (kak aúknetsja, tak i otklíknetsja) (proverb)

Further reading

• Dal, Vladimir (1880–1882), “ау”, in Толковый Словарь живаго великорускаго языка [Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language] (in Russian), 2nd edition, Publication of the bookseller-typographer Wolf, M. O.

Tatar

Etymology 1

From Proto-Turkic *āb. Cognate to Bashkir ау (aw), etc.

Noun

ау • (aw)

1. hunt

Etymology 2

From Proto-Turkic *āg. Cognate to Bashkir ау (aw), etc.

Noun

ау • (aw)

1. net

West Circassian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [aːw]

Adverb

ау (awu)

1. there, within that area (far away from here)

   ау макӏо ― awu makʷʼo ― he is going there

   ау гъэтӏылъ ― awu ğɛtʼəlˢ ― put it there

   ау ущымыщх ― awu wuśəməśx ― don't eat there

2. but

   Сыгу къео, ау сэ нэмыкI Iофхэр сиI. ― Səgʷu qewo, awu sɛ nɛməkʼ ʼwofxɛr siʼ. ― I am sorry, but I already have plans.

   сиунэ къакӏу, ау цуакъэ плъыжьыхэр къэхьых ― siwunɛ qakʷʼu, awu cʷaqɛ plˢəźəxɛr qɛḥəx ― Come to my house, but bring the red shoes.