کس

See also: كس, کش, and گس

Baluchi

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.). Cognate with Persian کس (kas), Central Kurdish کەس (kes), Mazanderani کس (kas), Talysh کس (kas), Pashto کسه (kësë).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /kəs/, [kəs]
Rhymes: -əs

Pronoun

کس • (kas)

one, somebody
ہر کس ― har kas ― everyone
synonym of کسے (kase)

Derived terms

کسے (kase)
ہچکس (hickas)

Noun

کس • (kas)

relative, family member
Synonyms: سیاد (syád), ہیش (heš), وارث (wáris), عزیز (azíz)

References

Uppsala University (2026), “کس”, in Southern Baluchi Dictionary (Webonary) (in Baluchi), Dallas, Texas, USA: SIL International, published 2019.
Muhammad Abd-al-Rahman (1969), “kəss”, in A course in Baluchi, Montreal: Institute of Islamic Studies, McGill University

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Classical Persian کس (kus). Cognate with Pashto کس (kwës), Punjabi کُسّ (kuss), Arabic كُسّ (kuss).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /kʊs/, [kʊs]
Rhymes: -ʊs

Noun

کس • (kus)

(anatomy) vulva, vagina; (vulgar slang) cunt, fanny
Synonyms: چچ (cucc), (euphemism) دیمی جان (demí ján)

Derived terms

کس آپ (kus áp, “vaginal fluid”)
کس سام (kus sám, “vaginitis”)
کس بری (kus burrí, “vaginectomy”)
کس جنگ (kus janag, “to cuntfuck”)

References

Uppsala University (2026), “کس”, in Southern Baluchi Dictionary (Webonary) (in Baluchi), Dallas, Texas, USA: SIL International, published 2019.

Persian

Etymology 1

Inherited from Middle Persian AYŠ (kas, “person, somebody”)., from kas-čid. Compare چیز (čiz) from čis-čid.

Pronunciation

(Classical Persian) IPA^(key): /ˈkas/

(Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [kʰäs]
- (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [kʰäs]
- (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [kʰäs]

(Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [kʰʲæs]
- (Tehrani) IPA^(key): [kʰʲæs], [kʰʲes]

(Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [kʰäs]

Rhymes: -as

Readings
Classical reading^?	kas
Dari reading^?	kas
Iranian reading^?	kas
Tajik reading^?	kas

Noun

کس • (kas) (plural کسان (kasān / kasân), Tajik spelling кас)

one, person, somebody (in relative clauses)
همه کسایی که شبیه من فکر میکنن
hame kasâyi ke šabih-e man fekr mi-konan
everyone who thinks like me
- c. 1260, Rumi, “2:1080−1081”, in The Masnavi:
  چون کسی کاو از مرض گل داشت دوست، گر چه پندارد که آن خود قوت اوست، قوت اصلی را فرامش کرده است، روی در قوت مرض آورده است.
  čon kas-i k-u az maraz gel dâšt dust, gar če pendârad ke ân xod qut-e u-st, qut-e asli-râ farâmoš karde ast, ruy dar qut-e maraz âvorde ast.
  As [in the case of] one who from disease has become fond of [eating] clay—though he may suppose that that [clay] is indeed his [natural] food, he has [in reality] forgotten his original food and has betaken himself to the food of disease.
  (Reynold A. Nicholson translation)
(archaic) person (as a standalone noun)

Related terms

کسی (kasi)
هیچ‌کس (hič-kas)

Descendants

Judeo-Tat: kəs
→ Azerbaijani: kəs

Etymology 2

Inherited from Proto-Indo-European *kuḱis (“(female) pubic hair; vulva”). Cognate with Northern Kurdish quz (“vagina, vulva, cunt, pussy”), Hawrami [script needed] (kʷsî, “vulva”), Lithuanian kūšỹs (“pubic hair, vulva”) and Latvian kūsis (“pubic hair, vulva”). Possibly a euphemism from the older meaning "belly", preserved in Sanskrit कुक्षि (kukṣí, “belly”), in Sogdian qwšy (“side (e.g. of the body)”) and in Persian کشتی (kuštī, “girdle”). Old Armenian կոյս (koys, “virgin”) may be an Iranian borrowing. Note also Ancient Greek κυσός (kusós, “vagina; anus”).

Alternative forms

کوس
کص (filter-avoidance)

Pronunciation

(Classical Persian) IPA^(key): /ˈkus/

(Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [kʰʊs]
- (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [kʰʊs]
- (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [kʰus]

(Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [kʰos]

(Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [kʰus]

Rhymes: -us

Readings
Classical reading^?	kus
Dari reading^?	kus
Iranian reading^?	kos
Tajik reading^?	kus

Noun

کس • (kus / kos) (plural کس‌ها (kus-hā / kos-hâ), Tajik spelling кус) (vulgar, slang)

pussy, cunt, fanny
an attractive girl or woman

Descendants

→ Arabic: كُس (kus)
- → Hebrew: כּוּס (kus)
→ Khalaj: kus
→ Urdu: کُس (kus)

References

Chyet, Michael L. (2003), “quz”, in Kurdish–English Dictionary‎^[1], with selected etymologies by Martin Schwartz, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, page 498b
Edelʹman, D. I. (2011), Etimologičeskij slovarʹ iranskix jazykov [Etymological Dictionary of Iranian Languages] (in Russian), volume IV, Moscow: Vostochnaya Literatura, pages 411–412
Horn, Paul (1893), Grundriss der neupersischen Etymologie (in German), Strasbourg: K.J. Trübner, § 852, page 190
Hübschmann, Heinrich (1895), Persische Studien [Persian Studies] (in German), Strasbourg: K.J. Trübner, page 87
Mallory, J. P., Adams, D. Q., editors (1997), Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture, London, Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, page 507
Hayyim, Sulayman (1934), “کس”, in New Persian–English dictionary, Teheran: Librairie-imprimerie Béroukhim
Dehkhoda, Ali-Akbar (1931–), “کس”, in Dehkhoda Dictionary Institute, editors, Dehkhoda Dictionary (in Persian), Tehran: University of Tehran Press.

Urdu

Etymology 1

Pronoun

کِس • (kis) (Hindi spelling किस)

Indirect form of کیا (kyā).
Indirect form of کون (kaun).

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Classical Persian کُس (kus, “pussy, cunt”). Usage mostly influenced by Punjabi کُسّ (kuss).

Pronunciation

(Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /kʊs/

Noun

کُس • (kus) f (Hindi spelling कुस)

(vulgar, Punjabic Urdu or rare) pussy, cunt

Derived terms

کُس مَرانی (kus-marānī, “whore”)

References

“کس”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
Qureshi, Bashir Ahmad (1971), “کس”, in Kitabistan's 20th Century Standard Dictionary, Lahore: Kitabistan Pub. Co.
Platts, John T. (1884), “کس”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co.
“کس”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2026.