ku-

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ku"

Indonesian

Alternative forms

• -ku

Etymology

From Malay ku-, from ku, shortened form of aku, from Proto-Malayic *aku, from Proto-Malayo-Chamic *aku, from Proto-Malayo-Sumbawan *aku, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *aku, from Proto-Austronesian *aku.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ku/

Prefix

ku-

1. I (personal pronoun)

See also

• aku

Further reading

• “ku-” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

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Kambera

Pronoun

ku-

1. first person singular nominative proclitic

See also

Kambera pronominal clitics

	Nominative	Genitive	Accusative	Dative
1sg	ku-	-nggu	-ka	-ngga
2sg	mu- (u-)	-mu	-kau	-nggau
3sg	na-	-na	-ya	-nya
1pl.incl	ta-	-nda	-ta	-nda
1pl.excl	ma-	-ma	-kama	-nggama
2pl	mi- (i-)	-mi	-kami (-kai)	-nggami (-nggai)
3pl	da-	-da	-ha	-nja

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Makasar

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ku]

Pronoun

ku- (nominative proclitic, Lontara spelling ᨀᨘ)

1. I
2. we (first person plural exclusive)

See also

Makasar free and bound pronouns

	Independent	Absolutive	Nominative	Possessive
1st sg / 1st pl excl	nakke	-a'	ku-	-ku
1st pl excl (archaic)	kambe	-kang	ki-	-mang
1st pl incl / 2nd sg polite	katte	-ki'	ki-	-ta
2nd sg / pl familiar	kau	-ko	nu-	-nu
3rd sg / pl	ia	-i	na-	-na

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Malay

Alternative forms

• aku, daku

Etymology

From ku, shortened form of aku, from Proto-Malayic *aku, from Proto-Malayo-Chamic *aku, from Proto-Malayo-Sumbawan *aku, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *aku, from Proto-Austronesian *aku.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ku/

Prefix

ku- (Jawi spelling کو-) (informal)

1. I (personal pronoun)

   Kutahu.

   I know.

See also

Malay personal pronouns
		singular	plural
1st person	standard	saya／ساي aku／اکو, ku-／كو- (informal/towards God) -ku／-كو (informal possessive) hamba／همبا (dated)	kami／کامي (exclusive) kita orang／كيت اورڠ (informal exclusive) kita／کيت (inclusive)
	royal	beta／بيتا
2nd person	standard	kamu／کامو anda／اندا (formal)
		engkau／اڠکاو, kau-／كاو- (informal/towards God) awak／اوق (friendly/older towards younger) -mu／-مو (possessive)	awak semua／اوق سموا kamu semua／كامو سموا kalian／کالين (informal) kau orang／كاو اورڠ (informal)
	royal	tuanku／توانكو
3rd person	standard	dia／دي ia／اي beliau／بلياو (honorific) -nya／-ڽ (possessive)	mereka／مريک dia orang／دي اورڠ (informal)
	royal	baginda／بݢيندا

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Maquiritari

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ku-]

Prefix

ku-

1. Allomorph of k- (first-person-dual-inclusive prefix) used for stems that begin with a consonant and have a first vowel u.

Inflection

Ye'kwana personal markers

	pronoun	noun possessor/ series II verb argument		postposition object		series I verb argument
						transitive patient	intransitive patient-like		intransitive agent-like	transitive agent
first person	ewü	y-, ∅-, ü-, u-1						w-, wi-
first person dual inclusive	küwü	k-, kü-, ku-, ki-								k-, kii-, ki-1
second person	amödö	ö-, öy-/ödh-, o-, oy-/odh-, a-, ay-/adh-							m-, mi-
first person dual exclusive	nña	y-/dh-, ch-, ∅-, i-1			chö-	∅-	n-, ni-
third person	tüwü					n-, ni-
distant past third person		—				kün-, kun-, kin-, ken-, küm-, kum-, kim-, kini-
coreferential/reflexive	—	t-, tü-, tu-, ti-, te-				—
reciprocal	—	—	öö-
With following vowel lengthened if in an unreduced open syllable.

	series I verb argument: transitive agent and transitive patient
first person > second person	mön-, man-, mon-, möm-, möni-
first person dual exclusive > second person
second person > first person	k-, kü-, ku-, ki-
second person > first person dual exclusive
third person > any person X …or… any person X > third person	see person X in the chart above

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Northern Ndebele

Etymology 1

From Proto-Bantu *kʊ̀-.

Prefix

ku-

1. you; second-person singular object concord.

Etymology 2

From Proto-Bantu *kʊ́-.

Prefix

ku-

1. it; class 15 subject concord.
2. it; class 15 object concord.

Etymology 3

From Proto-Bantu *kʊ́-.

Prefix

ku-

1. it; class 17 subject concord.
2. it; class 17 object concord.

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Phuthi

Etymology 1

From Proto-Bantu *kʊ̀-.

Prefix

ku-

1. you; second-person singular object concord.

Etymology 2

From Proto-Bantu *kʊ́-kʊ̀-.

Prefix

ku-

1. Class 15 noun prefix; forms the infinitive of verbs.

Etymology 3

From Proto-Bantu *kʊ́-.

Prefix

ku-

1. it; class 15 subject concord.
2. it; class 15 object concord.

Etymology 4

From Proto-Bantu *kʊ́-.

Prefix

ku-

1. it; class 17 subject concord.
2. it; class 17 object concord.

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Southern Ndebele

Etymology 1

From Proto-Bantu *kʊ̀-.

Prefix

ku-

1. you; second-person singular object concord.

Etymology 2

From Proto-Bantu *kʊ́-.

Prefix

ku-

1. it; class 15 subject concord.
2. it; class 15 object concord.

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Swahili

Alternative forms

• kw- (before a vowel)

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *kʊ̀-.

Prefix

ku-

1. The prefix for noun class 15 denoting verbal infinitives.

   ku- + -fanya = kufanya (to do)

   ku- + -soma = kusoma (to read)

2. The prefix for noun class 17 denoting a locative that implies movement or indeterminate position.

   • Nitalalamika Kukuacha Tanzania - I will complain if I leave you Tanzania - Tazama Ramani

See also

• Appendix:Swahili noun classes

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Swazi

Etymology 1

From Proto-Bantu *kʊ̀-.

Prefix

ku-

1. you; second-person singular object concord.

Etymology 2

From Proto-Bantu *kʊ́-kʊ̀-.

Prefix

ku-

1. Class 15 noun prefix; forms the infinitive of verbs.

Etymology 3

From Proto-Bantu *kʊ́-.

Prefix

ku-

1. it; class 15 subject concord.
2. it; class 15 object concord.

Etymology 4

From Proto-Bantu *kʊ́-.

Prefix

ku-

1. it; class 17 subject concord.
2. it; class 17 object concord.

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Taos

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ku/

Prefix

ku-

1. (transitive) Second-person singular subject + third person duoplural object.

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Tocharian A

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰew-. Cognates include Ancient Greek χέω (khéō), Sanskrit जुहोति (juhoti), Old Armenian ձեւ (jew), Latin fundō, fūtis and Old English ġēotan, guttas (English gut).

Verb

ku-

1. to pour
2. to offer a libation

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Tocharian B

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰew-. Cognates include Ancient Greek χέω (khéō), Sanskrit जुहोति (juhoti), Old Armenian ձեւ (jew), Latin fundō, fūtis and Old English ġēotan, guttas (English gut).

Verb

ku-

1. to pour
2. to offer a libation

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Xhosa

Etymology 1

From Proto-Bantu *kʊ̀-.

Prefix

ku-

1. you; second-person singular object concord.

Etymology 2

From Proto-Bantu *kʊ́-.

Prefix

ku-

1. it; class 15 subject concord.
2. it; class 15 object concord.

Etymology 3

From Proto-Bantu *kʊ́-.

Prefix

ku-

1. it; class 17 subject concord.
2. it; class 17 object concord.

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Zulu

Etymology 1

From Proto-Bantu *kʊ̀-.

Prefix

kú-

1. you; second-person singular object concord.

Etymology 2

From Proto-Bantu *kʊ̀-.

Prefix

ku-

1. Class 15 simple noun prefix.

Etymology 3

From Proto-Bantu *kʊ́-.

Prefix

kú-

1. it; class 15 subject concord.
2. it; class 15 object concord.

Etymology 4

From Proto-Bantu *kʊ̀-.

Prefix

ku-

1. Class 17 simple noun prefix.

Etymology 5

From Proto-Bantu *kʊ́-.

Prefix

kú-

1. it; class 17 subject concord.
2. it; class 17 object concord.

References

• C. M. Doke, B. W. Vilakazi (1972) “ku-”, in Zulu-English Dictionary, →ISBN: “ku-”