kapa

See also: kápa, kåpa, kapā, and kä̑pă

Languages (24)

English

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Cebuano • Czech • Finnish • Hawaiian • Hungarian • Ingrian • Laboya • Latvian • Lower Sorbian • Māori • North Moluccan Malay • Phuthi • Polish • Serbo-Croatian • Sranan Tongo • Swahili • Swedish • Tagalog • Tausug • Tok Pisin • Turkish • Venda • Yami

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Page categories

English

Noun

kapa (countable and uncountable, plural kapas)

1. Alternative form of tapa (“Polynesian cloth”).

See also

• kapa haka

Anagrams

• AAKP

Cebuano

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /kaˈpaʔ/ [kɐˈpaʔ]

Adjective

kapa

1. (slang, Davao) good-looking, cool
2. (slang, Butuan City) to perform a technique or procedure
3. drip

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkapa]

Noun

kapa n or f

1. kappa

   Synonym: kappa

Declension

when feminine:

Declension of kapa (hard feminine)

	singular	plural
nominative	kapa	kapy
genitive	kapy	kap
dative	kapě	kapám
accusative	kapu	kapy
vocative	kapo	kapy
locative	kapě	kapách
instrumental	kapou	kapami

Indeclinable when neuter.

Further reading

• “kapa”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “kapa”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989

Finnish

Etymology

Uncertain. Compared with onomatopoeic kapista on one hand and Germanic words like Old Swedish skaveþorsker on the other. Related to Ingrian kapa and Karelian kapa, kaba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɑpɑ/, [ˈkɑ̝pɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ɑpɑ
• Syllabification^(key): ka‧pa
• Hyphenation^(key): ka‧pa

Noun

kapa (rare)

1. synonym of kapakala

Declension

Inflection of kapa (Kotus type 9*E/kala, p–v gradation)
nominative		kapa	kavat
genitive		kavan	kapojen
partitive		kapaa	kapoja
illative		kapaan	kapoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		kapa	kavat
accusative	nom.	kapa	kavat
	gen.	kavan
genitive		kavan	kapojen kapain rare
partitive		kapaa	kapoja
inessive		kavassa	kavoissa
elative		kavasta	kavoista
illative		kapaan	kapoihin
adessive		kavalla	kavoilla
ablative		kavalta	kavoilta
allative		kavalle	kavoille
essive		kapana	kapoina
translative		kavaksi	kavoiksi
abessive		kavatta	kavoitta
instructive		—	kavoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of kapa (Kotus type 9*E/kala, p–v gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative kapani kapani accusative nom. kapani kapani gen. kapani genitive kapani kapojeni kapaini rare partitive kapaani kapojani inessive kavassani kavoissani elative kavastani kavoistani illative kapaani kapoihini adessive kavallani kavoillani ablative kavaltani kavoiltani allative kavalleni kavoilleni essive kapanani kapoinani translative kavakseni kavoikseni abessive kavattani kavoittani instructive — — comitative — kapoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative kapasi kapasi accusative nom. kapasi kapasi gen. kapasi genitive kapasi kapojesi kapaisi rare partitive kapaasi kapojasi inessive kavassasi kavoissasi elative kavastasi kavoistasi illative kapaasi kapoihisi adessive kavallasi kavoillasi ablative kavaltasi kavoiltasi allative kavallesi kavoillesi essive kapanasi kapoinasi translative kavaksesi kavoiksesi abessive kavattasi kavoittasi instructive — — comitative — kapoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative kapamme kapamme accusative nom. kapamme kapamme gen. kapamme genitive kapamme kapojemme kapaimme rare partitive kapaamme kapojamme inessive kavassamme kavoissamme elative kavastamme kavoistamme illative kapaamme kapoihimme adessive kavallamme kavoillamme ablative kavaltamme kavoiltamme allative kavallemme kavoillemme essive kapanamme kapoinamme translative kavaksemme kavoiksemme abessive kavattamme kavoittamme instructive — — comitative — kapoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative kapanne kapanne accusative nom. kapanne kapanne gen. kapanne genitive kapanne kapojenne kapainne rare partitive kapaanne kapojanne inessive kavassanne kavoissanne elative kavastanne kavoistanne illative kapaanne kapoihinne adessive kavallanne kavoillanne ablative kavaltanne kavoiltanne allative kavallenne kavoillenne essive kapananne kapoinanne translative kavaksenne kavoiksenne abessive kavattanne kavoittanne instructive — — comitative — kapoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative kapansa kapansa accusative nom. kapansa kapansa gen. kapansa genitive kapansa kapojensa kapainsa rare partitive kapaansa kapojaan kapojansa inessive kavassaan kavassansa kavoissaan kavoissansa elative kavastaan kavastansa kavoistaan kavoistansa illative kapaansa kapoihinsa adessive kavallaan kavallansa kavoillaan kavoillansa ablative kavaltaan kavaltansa kavoiltaan kavoiltansa allative kavalleen kavallensa kavoilleen kavoillensa essive kapanaan kapanansa kapoinaan kapoinansa translative kavakseen kavaksensa kavoikseen kavoiksensa abessive kavattaan kavattansa kavoittaan kavoittansa instructive — — comitative — kapoineen kapoinensa

Derived terms

compounds

• kapakala
• kapaliha

Hawaiian

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *tapa. Cognate to Samoan siapo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈka.pa/, [ˈkɐ.pə]

Noun

kapa

1. rim, edge
2. tapa

Hungarian

Etymology

Back-formation from kapál.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkɒpɒ]
• Hyphenation: ka‧pa
• Rhymes: -pɒ

Noun

kapa (plural kapák)

1. hoe

Declension

Inflection (stem in long/high vowel, back harmony)

	singular	plural
nominative	kapa	kapák
accusative	kapát	kapákat
dative	kapának	kapáknak
instrumental	kapával	kapákkal
causal-final	kapáért	kapákért
translative	kapává	kapákká
terminative	kapáig	kapákig
essive-formal	kapaként	kapákként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	kapában	kapákban
superessive	kapán	kapákon
adessive	kapánál	kapáknál
illative	kapába	kapákba
sublative	kapára	kapákra
allative	kapához	kapákhoz
elative	kapából	kapákból
delative	kapáról	kapákról
ablative	kapától	kapáktól
non-attributive possessive – singular	kapáé	kapáké
non-attributive possessive – plural	kapáéi	kapákéi

Possessive forms of kapa

possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	kapám	kapáim
2nd person sing.	kapád	kapáid
3rd person sing.	kapája	kapái
1st person plural	kapánk	kapáink
2nd person plural	kapátok	kapáitok
3rd person plural	kapájuk	kapáik

Derived terms

Expressions

• ásó, kapa, nagyharang
• néha még a kapanyél is elsül

Further reading

• kapa in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.

Ingrian

Kappaa.

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *kapa. Cognates include Finnish kapa.

Pronunciation

• (Ala-Laukaa) IPA^(key): /ˈkɑpɑ/, [ˈkɑpɑˑ]
• (Soikkola) IPA^(key): /ˈkɑpɑ/, [ˈkɑb̥ɑˑ]
• Rhymes: -ɑpɑ
• Hyphenation: ka‧pa

Noun

kapa

1. dried fish
   • 1936, N. A. Iljin and V. I. Junus, Bukvari iƶoroin șkouluja vart, Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 11:

     Kapa, kala, kala, kana.

     Dried fish, fish, fish, hen.

Declension

Declension of kapa (type 3/kana, p-v gradation, gemination)
	singular	plural
nominative	kapa	kavat
genitive	kavan	kappoin
partitive	kappaa	kapoja
illative	kappaa	kappoi
inessive	kavas	kavois
elative	kavast	kavoist
allative	kavalle	kavoille
adessive	kaval	kavoil
ablative	kavalt	kavoilt
translative	kavaks	kavoiks
essive	kapanna, kappaan	kapoinna, kappoin
exessive1)	kapant	kapoint
1) obsolete *) the accusative corresponds with either the genitive (sg) or nominative (pl) **) the comitative is formed by adding the suffix -ka? or -kä? to the genitive.

Derived terms

• kurvikapa

References

• Ruben E. Nirvi (1971), Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 118

Laboya

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkaːpa]

Noun

kapa

1. wing

References

• Rina, A. Dj.; Kabba, John Lado B. (2011), “kapa”, in Kamus Bahasa Lamboya, Kabupaten Sumba Bakat [Dictionary of Lamboya Language, West Sumba Regency], Waikabubak: Dinas Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata, Kabupaten Sumba Bakat, page 43
• Allahverdi Verdizade (2019), “kapa”, in Lamboya word list‎^[2], Leiden: LexiRumah

Latvian

Noun

kapa m

1. genitive singular of kaps

Lower Sorbian

Etymology

From Latin cappa (“cape, sleeveless coat”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkapa/

Noun

kapa f

1. men’s jacket, outer garment

Declension

Declension of kapa

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	kapa	kapje	kapy
genitive	kapy	kapowu	kapow
dative	kapje	kapoma	kapam
accusative	kapu	kapje	kapy
instrumental	kapu	kapoma	kapami
locative	kapje	kapoma	kapach

Māori

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkapa/ [ˈkɐpɐ]

Etymology 1

Noun

kapa

1. team, group
2. row, line

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English copper.

Noun

kapa

1. copper

References

• John C. Moorfield (2011), “kapa”, in Te Aka: Māori–English, English–Māori Dictionary and Index, 3rd edition, Longman/Pearson Education New Zealand, →ISBN

North Moluccan Malay

Etymology

Contraction of ka (“or”) and apa (“what”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈka.pa/
• Hyphenation: ka‧pa

Adverb

kapa

1. maybe, possibly, perhaps

   Dorang yang dapa pili kapa.

   They are the chosen ones perhaps.

Phuthi

Etymology 1

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

Verb

-kápa

1. to chop

Inflection

This entry needs an inflection-table template.

Etymology 2

Conjunction

kapa

1. or

Polish

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ˈka.pa/

• (Masovia):
  • (Near Masovian) IPA^(key): [ˈka.pa]
  • (Łowicz) IPA^(key): [ˈka.pa]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -apa
• Syllabification: ka‧pa
• Homophone: Kapa

Etymology 1

Learned borrowing from Late Latin cappa. Noun sense 5 is a semantic loan from Spanish capa.

Alternative forms

• kap (Lasovia)

Noun

kapa f (diminutive kapka)

1. cover (top sheet of a bed)

   Synonym: narzuta

2. (Anglicanism, Roman Catholicism) cope, mantle, mantum (long, loose cloak worn by a priest, deacon, or bishop when presiding over a ceremony other than the Mass)

   Synonym: pluwiał

3. (nautical) companionway

   Synonym: zejściówka

4. (equestrianism) horse blanket, rug (blanket placed underneath the saddle of a horse)

   Synonyms: derka, kuczma

6. (bullfighting) cape (cloth used by a bullfighter to trick the bull)

   Hypernym: płachta

7. (Near Masovian) piece of leather used in flails to tie the sledge with the beater
8. (Łowicz, Osiek, Różyce, Kocierzew, Wejsce, Skowroda, Wicie, Łaguszew, Płaskocin, Sromów, Gągolin Południowy) small hood

   Hypernym: kaptur

Declension

Declension of kapa

	singular	plural
nominative	kapa	kapy
genitive	kapy	kap
dative	kapie	kapom
accusative	kapę	kapy
instrumental	kapą	kapami
locative	kapie	kapach
vocative	kapo	kapy

Etymology 2

Etymology tree

substratebor.?

Proto-Indo-European *kap-

Proto-Indo-European *-yéti

Proto-Indo-European *kapyéti

Proto-Italic *kapjō

Archaic Latin kapiō

Latin caperebor.

▲

Italian capireinflu.

German kapierenbor.

Proto-Indo-European *h₂euh₁-der.?

Proto-Slavic *-ovati

Old Polish -ować

Polish -ować

Polish kapowaćdeverb.

Polish kapa

Deverbal from kapować.

Noun

kapa f

1. (prison slang) lookout (session of watching for an approaching enemy)

   Synonym: czaty

Declension

Declension of kapa

	singular	plural
nominative	kapa	kapy
genitive	kapy	kap
dative	kapie	kapom
accusative	kapę	kapy
instrumental	kapą	kapami
locative	kapie	kapach
vocative	kapo	kapy

Etymology 3

Etymology tree

German Klappebor.

Polish klapaclip.

Polish kapa

Clipping of klapa.

Noun

kapa f

1. (colloquial) flop, turkey (failure)

   Synonyms: kaplica, klapa

Declension

Declension of kapa

	singular	plural
nominative	kapa	kapy
genitive	kapy	kap
dative	kapie	kapom
accusative	kapę	kapy
instrumental	kapą	kapami
locative	kapie	kapach
vocative	kapo	kapy

Etymology 4

See kopa.

Noun

kapa f

1. (Łowicz, Małszyce, Bocheń) alternative form of kopa

Etymology 5

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

kapa m pers

1. genitive/accusative singular of kapo

Further reading

• “kapa”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[3] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “kapa”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[4] (in Polish)
• kapa in PWN's encyclopedia
• Władysław Matlakowski (1891), “kapa”, in “Zbiór wyrazów ludowych dawnej ziemi czerskiej”, in Sprawozdania Komisyi Językowej Akademii Umiejętności‎^[5], volume 4, Krakow: Drukarnia Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, page 364
• Halina Świderska (1929), “kapa”, in Dialekt Księstwa Łowickiego (in Polish), Warsaw, →ISBN, page 104

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From Italian cappa. Attested from the 14th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kâpa/
• Hyphenation: ka‧pa

Noun

kȁpa f (Cyrillic spelling ка̏па)

1. cap (head covering)

Declension

Declension of kapa

	singular	plural
nominative	kȁpa	kape
genitive	kape	kȃpā
dative	kapi	kapama
accusative	kapu	kape
vocative	kapo	kape
locative	kapi	kapama
instrumental	kapom	kapama

Derived terms

• Crvenkapica
• Crvenkapa

Sranan Tongo

Wan kapa tapu Nyunfoto.

Etymology

From English copper. Cognate of Jamaican Creole kapa. Doublet of kopro.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkapa/, [ˈka̠pa̠], [ˈkɑ̟pɑ̟]

Noun

kapa

1. sugar kettle, sirop, copper (a large cauldron used on plantations in sugar production)

Derived terms

• kapalasi

Descendants

• → Dutch: kap, kappa, kapa

Swahili

Noun

kapa class ? (plural [please provide])

1. (Sheng) thousand shilling

   Synonyms: thao, ngiri

Swedish

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Dutch kapen.

Verb

kapa (present kapar, preterite kapade, supine kapat, imperative kapa)

1. to hijack; to seize control over something

Conjugation

Conjugation of kapa (weak)

	active		passive
infinitive	kapa		kapas
supine	kapat		kapats
imperative	kapa		—
imper. plural1	kapen		—
	present	past	present	past
indicative	kapar	kapade	kapas	kapades
ind. plural1	kapa	kapade	kapas	kapades
subjunctive2	kape	kapade	kapes	kapades
present participle		kapande
past participle		kapad

¹ Archaic. ² Dated. See the appendix on Swedish verbs.

Derived terms

• kapa till sig
• kapa åt sig
• kapare
• kaperi
• kapning

Etymology 2

Borrowed from German kappen (“to cut off”).

Verb

kapa (present kapar, preterite kapade, supine kapat, imperative kapa)

2. to cut, making shorter

   Maskinen kapar automatiskt stockarna i hanterbara längder.

   The machine automatically cuts the logs into manageable lengths.

Conjugation

Conjugation of kapa (weak)

	active		passive
infinitive	kapa		kapas
supine	kapat		kapats
imperative	kapa		—
imper. plural1	kapen		—
	present	past	present	past
indicative	kapar	kapade	kapas	kapades
ind. plural1	kapa	kapade	kapas	kapades
subjunctive2	kape	kapade	kapes	kapades
present participle		kapande
past participle		kapad

¹ Archaic. ² Dated. See the appendix on Swedish verbs.

Related terms

• avkapa
• kap

Further reading

• “kapa”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• kapa in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)

Tagalog

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Philippine *kapaq-kapaq (“to grope, fumble about”). Compare Central Bikol kapa-kapa.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /kaˈpaʔ/ [k̠ɐˈpaʔ]
• Rhymes: -aʔ
• Syllabification: ka‧pa

Noun

kapâ (Baybayin spelling ᜃᜉ)

1. grope (search by feeling)

   Synonyms: apuhap, salat, kapkap

Derived terms

• kapain
• kumapa
• kumapa-kapa
• makapa
• mangapa
• pagkapa
• pangangapa

Etymology 2

Etymology tree

substratebor.?

Proto-Indo-European *kap-?

Proto-Indo-European *kap-

Proto-Indo-European *káput

Proto-Italic *kaput

Latin caput

Proto-Indo-European *-lós

Proto-Indo-European *-elós

Proto-Italic *-elos

Latin -ulum

Latin capitulum

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-

Proto-Indo-European *-is

Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.?

Proto-Italic *-ālis

Latin -ālis

Latin -āris

Latin -āre

Latin capitulāre?

Late Latin cappa

Old Spanish capa

Spanish capabor.

Tagalog kapa

Borrowed from Spanish capa, from Old Spanish capa, from Late Latin cappa, possibly from Latin capitulāre, from capitulum (“small head”) + -āre (substantive of -āris (“-ary”, adjectival suffix)).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈkapa/ [ˈk̠aː.pɐ]
• Rhymes: -apa
• Syllabification: ka‧pa

Noun

kapa (Baybayin spelling ᜃᜉ)

1. cape (sleeveless garment or part of a garment, hanging from the neck over the back, arms, and shoulders)
2. scum (layer of impurities that accumulates at the surface of a liquid)

   Synonyms: halagap, hunab, eskoma

3. thin layer of fat or oil on the surface of liquid or broth

   Synonyms: linab, hunab

4. foam or froth on the surface of water

See also

• abrigo
• alampay
• balabal

Further reading

• “kapa”, in KWF Diksiyonaryo ng Wikang Filipino, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, 2025
• “kapa”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018
• Blust, Robert; Trussel, Stephen; et al. (2023) “*kapaq-kapaq”, in the CLDF dataset from The Austronesian Comparative Dictionary (2010–), →DOI

Tausug

Etymology

From Malay kapak.

Pronunciation

• (Sinūgan Parianun) IPA^(key): /kapa/ [k̠ɑˈpa]
• Rhymes: -a
• Syllabification: ka‧pa

Noun

kapa (Sulat Sūg spelling كَفَ)

1. ax, hatchet

Derived terms

• kapaha
• kapahan
• kiyakapa
• kiyapa
• kumapa
• magkapa
• nagkapa

Tok Pisin

Noun

kapa

1. (anatomy) fingernail, toenail

Turkish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaˈpa/
• Hyphenation: ka‧pa

Verb

kapa

1. second-person singular imperative of kapamak

Venda

Verb

kapa

1. to scoop

Yami

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 合羽 (kappa, “a raincoat, especially a poncho or other sleeveless style”).

Noun

kapa

1. raincoat