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کی

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: كي, گی, and گے

Chagatai

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Etymology 1

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(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

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کی (gäy) (plural کی‌لار (gäylär))

  1. a sort of hunt bird
Further reading
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  • Courteille, Abel Pavet de (1870), “کی”, in Dictionnaire turk-oriental [Eastern Turkic Dictionary]‎[1] (in French), Paris: Imprimerie Impériale, page 482
  • el-Buhari, Süleyman Özbeki (1881), “کی”, in لغت چغتای و ترکی عثمانی [Ottoman Turkish-Chagatai Dictionary]‎[2] (in Ottoman Turkish), volume 1, page 263

Etymology 2

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Inherited from Proto-Common Turkic *ked, from Sogdian 𐼸𐼰𐼹𐼷 (kʾδy).

Adverb

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کی (käy)

  1. (rare) very, many

Etymology 3

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Borrowed from Classical Persian کَیْ (kay).

Noun

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کی (käy) (plural کیان (käyān))

  1. a big ruler

Further reading

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  • Bahawudun, Muhemmettursun; Gheyurani, Ghenizat; Qadir, Isma'il; Ehet, Ablimit (2002), “كەي”, in چاغاتاي تىلىنىڭ ئىزاھلىق لۇغىتى [Explanatory Dictionary of the Chagatai Language]‎[3] (in Uyghur), Shinjang Xelq Neshriyati, →ISBN, page 527

Etymology 4

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Contraction

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کی (käy)

  1. (poetic) contraction of که (kh) +‎ ای (ʾy), literally vocative particle, O

Further reading

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  • Bahawudun, Muhemmettursun; Gheyurani, Ghenizat; Qadir, Isma'il; Ehet, Ablimit (2002), “كەي”, in چاغاتاي تىلىنىڭ ئىزاھلىق لۇغىتى [Explanatory Dictionary of the Chagatai Language]‎[4] (in Uyghur), Shinjang Xelq Neshriyati, →ISBN, page 527

Pahari-Potwari

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Pronunciation

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Postposition

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کی ()

  1. marks the dative case

Persian

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Etymology 1

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From Middle Persian [Book Pahlavi needed] (AYMT /⁠kay⁠/) 𐫐𐫏𐫏 (kyy /⁠kay⁠/), 𐫐𐫏 (ky /⁠kay⁠/).

Pronunciation

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Readings
Classical reading? kay
Dari reading? kay
Iranian reading? key
Tajik reading? kay

Adverb

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Dari کی
Iranian Persian
Tajik кай

کی (key)

  1. (interrogative) when?
    کَی خَو می‌رِی؟kay xaw mē-rī?when are you going to sleep? (Dari, informal)

Etymology 2

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From Middle Persian 𐫐𐫏 (ky /⁠kē⁠/).

Pronunciation

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Readings
Classical reading?
Dari reading?
Iranian reading? ki
Tajik reading? ki

Pronoun

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Dari کی
Iranian Persian
Tajik кӣ

کی (ki)

  1. (interrogative) who?
    شما کی هستین؟šomâ ki hastin?Who are you? (informal polite)
Alternative forms
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Etymology 3

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Inherited from Middle Persian [Book Pahlavi needed] (kad /⁠kay⁠/, legendary ancient king of Iran), borrowed from Avestan 𐬐𐬀𐬎𐬎𐬌 (kauui, poet, bard; vision-poet, Mazdean sacrificer), from Proto-Iranian *káwHiš, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *káwHiš, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewh₁-. The visionary poets of the Avesta were mistakenly interpreted as ancient kings by the Sasanian Zoroastrian priests.

Pronunciation

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Readings
Classical reading? kay
Dari reading? kay
Iranian reading? key
Tajik reading? kay

Noun

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کی (key) (plural کیان (kayân))

  1. (Iranian mythology) Key, Kay: the title of a number of legendary kings of Iran, belonging to the mythical Kayanian dynasty.
Derived terms
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Descendants
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  • Chagatai: کی (käy)

Urdu

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Pronunciation

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Particle

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کی () (Hindi spelling की)

  1. feminine of کا ()

References

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  • کی”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
  • کی”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2025.