suku

See also: Appendix:Variations of "suku"

Languages (24)

Aruop • Ewe • Fataluku • Finnish • Indonesian • Ingrian • Japanese • Javanese • Kongo • Latvian • Lingala • Malay • Mwani • Naga Pidgin • Northeast Maidu • Old Javanese • Papiamentu • Sranan Tongo • Sundanese • Ternate • Tetum • Trió • Votic • Ye'kwana

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Page categories

Aruop

Noun

suku

1. water

References

• transnewguinea.org, citing D. C. Laycock, Languages of the Lumi Subdistrict (West Sepik District), New Guinea (1968), Oceanic Linguistics, 7 (1): 36-66

Ewe

Noun

suku

1. school

Fataluku

Verb

suku

1. to sew

Finnish

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *suku.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsuku/, [ˈs̠uku]
• Rhymes: -uku
• Syllabification^(key): su‧ku
• Hyphenation^(key): su‧ku

Noun

suku

1. extended family, kin (in addition to parents and children, includes cousins, uncles, aunts, grandparents and farther relatives)

   Coordinate term: perhe

2. (taxonomy) genus
3. (linguistics) gender
4. (topology) synonym of genus (“genus”)

Declension

Inflection of suku (Kotus type 1*M/valo, k–v gradation)
nominative		suku	suvut
genitive		suvun	sukujen
partitive		sukua	sukuja
illative		sukuun	sukuihin
		singular	plural
nominative		suku	suvut
accusative	nom.	suku	suvut
	gen.	suvun
genitive		suvun	sukujen
partitive		sukua	sukuja
inessive		suvussa	suvuissa
elative		suvusta	suvuista
illative		sukuun	sukuihin
adessive		suvulla	suvuilla
ablative		suvulta	suvuilta
allative		suvulle	suvuille
essive		sukuna	sukuina
translative		suvuksi	suvuiksi
abessive		suvutta	suvuitta
instructive		—	suvuin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of suku (Kotus type 1*M/valo, k–v gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative sukuni sukuni accusative nom. sukuni sukuni gen. sukuni genitive sukuni sukujeni partitive sukuani sukujani inessive suvussani suvuissani elative suvustani suvuistani illative sukuuni sukuihini adessive suvullani suvuillani ablative suvultani suvuiltani allative suvulleni suvuilleni essive sukunani sukuinani translative suvukseni suvuikseni abessive suvuttani suvuittani instructive — — comitative — sukuineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative sukusi sukusi accusative nom. sukusi sukusi gen. sukusi genitive sukusi sukujesi partitive sukuasi sukujasi inessive suvussasi suvuissasi elative suvustasi suvuistasi illative sukuusi sukuihisi adessive suvullasi suvuillasi ablative suvultasi suvuiltasi allative suvullesi suvuillesi essive sukunasi sukuinasi translative suvuksesi suvuiksesi abessive suvuttasi suvuittasi instructive — — comitative — sukuinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative sukumme sukumme accusative nom. sukumme sukumme gen. sukumme genitive sukumme sukujemme partitive sukuamme sukujamme inessive suvussamme suvuissamme elative suvustamme suvuistamme illative sukuumme sukuihimme adessive suvullamme suvuillamme ablative suvultamme suvuiltamme allative suvullemme suvuillemme essive sukunamme sukuinamme translative suvuksemme suvuiksemme abessive suvuttamme suvuittamme instructive — — comitative — sukuinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative sukunne sukunne accusative nom. sukunne sukunne gen. sukunne genitive sukunne sukujenne partitive sukuanne sukujanne inessive suvussanne suvuissanne elative suvustanne suvuistanne illative sukuunne sukuihinne adessive suvullanne suvuillanne ablative suvultanne suvuiltanne allative suvullenne suvuillenne essive sukunanne sukuinanne translative suvuksenne suvuiksenne abessive suvuttanne suvuittanne instructive — — comitative — sukuinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative sukunsa sukunsa accusative nom. sukunsa sukunsa gen. sukunsa genitive sukunsa sukujensa partitive sukuaan sukuansa sukujaan sukujansa inessive suvussaan suvussansa suvuissaan suvuissansa elative suvustaan suvustansa suvuistaan suvuistansa illative sukuunsa sukuihinsa adessive suvullaan suvullansa suvuillaan suvuillansa ablative suvultaan suvultansa suvuiltaan suvuiltansa allative suvulleen suvullensa suvuilleen suvuillensa essive sukunaan sukunansa sukuinaan sukuinansa translative suvukseen suvuksensa suvuikseen suvuiksensa abessive suvuttaan suvuttansa suvuittaan suvuittansa instructive — — comitative — sukuineen sukuinensa

Derived terms

• suinkaan
• suinkin
• sukuinen
• sukuisin
• sukulainen
• sukuloida
• suvuittain
• suvullinen
• suvuton

compounds

• aatelissuku
• alasuku
• alhaissukuinen
• en-suku
• feminiinisuku
• hallitsijasuku
• halpasukuinen
• ihmissuku
• kaksisukuinen
• kasvisuku
• keisarisuku
• kreivisuku
• kuningassuku
• lähisuku
• mahtisuku
• maskuliinisuku
• miessuku
• naissuku
• olutpanimosuku
• pappissuku
• ruhtinassuku
• sukuanamneesi
• sukuelin
• sukuhaara
• sukuhauta
• sukuhistoria
• sukuhormoni
• sukujuhla
• sukujuuret
• sukujuuri
• sukukalleus
• sukukansa
• sukukartano
• sukukieli
• sukukirja
• sukukokous
• sukukunta
• sukukypsä
• sukulinja
• sukuluettelo
• sukunimi
• sukunäkö
• sukuoikeus
• sukuosa
• sukuperä
• sukupolvi
• sukupuoli
• sukupuu
• sukupuutto
• sukurakas
• sukurasite
• sukurasitus
• sukurauhanen
• sukuriita
• sukuromaani
• sukurutsa
• sukurutsaus
• sukuryhmä
• sukusalaisuus
• sukuselvitys
• sukuseura
• sukusiitos
• sukusolu
• sukutalo
• sukutaulu
• sukutila
• sukututkija
• sukututkimus
• sukuvaakuna
• Sukuvaara
• sukuvietti
• sukuvika
• sukuyhteisö
• sukuylpeä
• suomensukuinen
• suvunjatkaja
• suvunjatkamiskyky
• talonpoikaissuku

Collocations

• olla sukua ― to be related/kin to; (linguistics) to be cognate with (+ allative)
• olla omaa sukua ― to have a maiden name (of) (+ possessive suffix)

  Maija Meikäläinen on omaa sukuaan Mäkelä.

  Maija Meikäläinen has the maiden name Mäkelä.

• olla suvussa ― to run in the family
• kulkea suvussa ― to run in the family

Further reading

• “suku”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[3] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 3 July 2023

Anagrams

• kusu, kuus

Indonesian

Alternative forms

• soekoe (1901–1947)

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈsuku/ [ˈsu.ku]
• Rhymes: -uku
• Syllabification: su‧ku

Etymology 1

Inherited from Malay suku, ultimately from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *suku (“one quarter; designation for a division of society, probably a lineage”).

• The “clan” sense is a semantic loan from Minangkabau suku.
• The “limb or leg” sense is a semantic loan from Javanese ꦱꦸꦏꦸ (suku).
• The “footer” sense is a semantic loan from English footer.

Noun

suku (plural suku-suku)

1. (typically in compounds) part

   Synonym: bagian

2. quarter (a fourth part of something)

   Synonym: seperempat

3. half rupiah
4. (arithmetic) numerator and denominator

   Hyponyms: pembilang, penyebut

5. clan (a group of people all descended from a common ancestor, in fact or belief)

   Synonyms: klan, suku sakat

6. ethnicity, ethnic group

   Synonyms: etnis, suku bangsa

7. (biology, taxonomy) family (a category in the classification of organisms)

   Synonyms: famili, keluarga

8. (mathematics) term (a type of value (variable or constant) or expression)
9. (Jambi, Palembang) a traditional unit of gold weight, equal 6.7 grams
10. (literal, obsolete) foot

    Synonym: kaki

11. footer (a printed line of information)

    Synonyms: catatan kaki, kakian

12. diacritic mark of traditional scripts representing /u/ vowel.

Derived terms

• bersuku
• bersuku-suku
• kesukuan
• persukuan
• sepersukuan
• sesuku

• suku bangsa
• suku buka
• suku bunga
• suku cadang
• suku dinas
• suku kalimat
• suku kata
• suku padang pasir
• suku pelengkap
• suku sakat
• suku tahun
• suku tertutup

Related terms

• bausuku

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Berau Malay [Term?].

Noun

suku (plural suku-suku)

1. (cooking) a snack consisting of sticky rice cooked with coconut milk, served with grated coconut or salted fish

Further reading

• “suku”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Ingrian

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *suku. Cognates include Finnish suku and Estonian sugu.

Pronunciation

• (Ala-Laukaa) IPA^(key): /ˈsuku/, [ˈs̠ukuˑ]
• (Soikkola) IPA^(key): /ˈsuku/, [ˈʃuɡ̊uˑ]
• Rhymes: -uku
• Hyphenation: su‧ku

Noun

suku

1. family, kin
2. breed, sort

Declension

Declension of suku (type 4/koivu, k- gradation, gemination)
	singular	plural
nominative	suku	suut
genitive	suun	sukkuin, sukuloin
partitive	sukkua	sukuja, sukuloja
illative	sukkuu	sukkui, sukuloihe
inessive	suus	suuis, sukulois
elative	suust	suuist, sukuloist
allative	suulle	suuille, sukuloille
adessive	suul	suuil, sukuloil
ablative	suult	suuilt, sukuloilt
translative	suuks	suuiks, sukuloiks
essive	sukunna, sukkuun	sukuinna, sukuloinna, sukkuin, sukuloin
exessive1)	sukunt	sukuint, sukuloint
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

• meessuku
• naissuku
• sukukili
• sukulain
• sukulehmä
• sukunimi
• sukuporona
• suukas

References

• Ruben E. Nirvi (1971), Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 547

Japanese

Romanization

suku

1. Rōmaji transcription of すく

Javanese

Romanization

suku

1. romanization of ꦱꦸꦏꦸ

Kongo

Noun

suku

1. room

Latvian

Noun

suku

1. inflection of suka:
   1. accusative/instrumental singular
   2. genitive plural

Lingala

Etymology

Borrowed from Kongo suku.

Noun

suku

1. room

Malay

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *suku (“one quarter; designation for a division of society, probably a lineage”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /su.ku/
• Rhymes: -u

Noun

suku (Jawi spelling سوکو, plural suku-suku)

1. quarter, fourth, ¹⁄₄ (mathematics)

   Sekarang satu suku. ― It's a quarter past one now.

   1. (finance) a fourth part of the year; 3 months; a term or season.

      Synonyms: kuartal, trimester (Indonesian)

2. race; ethnicity

   Suku Jawa ― Javanese race

3. (Negeri Sembilan) A traditional matrilineal clan under Adat Perpatih.

Descendants

• > Indonesian: suku (inherited)

References

• "suku" in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu (PRPM) [Malay Literary Reference Centre (PRPM)] (in Malay), Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017
  (also see "suku" at PRPM first version)
• Blust, Robert; Trussel, Stephen; et al. (2023) “*suku”, in the CLDF dataset from The Austronesian Comparative Dictionary (2010–), →DOI

Mwani

Noun

suku class 9 (plural suku)

1. day

Naga Pidgin

Etymology

From Assamese চকু (soku).

Noun

suku (plural sukukhan)

1. eye

Northeast Maidu

Etymology 1

Probably cognate to Wintu suku (“dog, horse”).

Noun

suku

1. a dog

Etymology 2

Unclear. Possibly the same as Etymology 1, above.

Noun

suku

1. a transgender person; a female-bodied person who lives as a man, or vice versa

See also

• two-spirit

References

• Sabine Lang, Men as Women, Women as Men →ISBN, 2010): The data available for Maidu suku suggest that "suku" was a complex term that was used to refer to both male and female "berdaches"; [...] female-bodied suku [...] were treated as men and initiated as such into the men's secret society, but also [...] were subjected to gang rape (or voluntary intercourse) in the dance house by all of the men present and were regarded as "prostitutes."
• Serena Nanda, Gender Diversity: Crosscultural Variations (1999, →ISBN, page 24: In addition to occupation, female gender variants might assume other characteristics of men. Cocopa warrhameh wore a masculine hairstyle and had their noses pierced, like boys (Lang 1998:283). Among the Maidu, the female suku also had her nose pierced on the occasion of her initiation into the men's secret society. Mohave hwame were tattooed like men instead of women.

Old Javanese

Etymology

• Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *suku (“one quarter; designation for a division of society, probably a lineage”).
• Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *sukud, from Proto-Austronesian *sukud (“walking stick, cane, staff”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /su.ku/
• Rhymes: -ku
• Homophone: sukū
• Hyphenation: su‧ku

Noun

suku

1. foot:
   1. a biological structure found in many animals that is used for locomotion and that is frequently a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg.

      Synonyms: caraṇa, dagan, jöṅ, kikil, pāda

   2. the base or bottom of mountain
2. leg

Derived terms

• masuku
• suku-suku
• susuku

Descendants

• > Javanese: suku (inherited)
• → Balinese: suku

Further reading

• "suku" in P.J. Zoetmulder with the collaboration of S.O. Robson, Old Javanese-English Dictionary. 's-Gravenhage: M. Nijhoff, 1982.

Papiamentu

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *ḱorkeh₂

Proto-Indo-Iranian *ćárkaraH

Proto-Indo-Aryan *śárkaraH

Sanskrit शर्क॑रा (śárkarā)

Gandhari 𐨭𐨐𐨪 (śakara)bor.

Middle Persian 𐭱𐭪𐭥 (šakar)bor.

Arabic سُكَّر (sukkar)

Andalusian Arabic سكر (sukkar)bor.

Old Galician-Portuguese açúcar

Portuguese açúcarder.

▲

Andalusian Arabic سكر (sukkar)bor.

Old Spanish açúcar

Spanish azúcarder.

▲

Portuguese açúcar

Kabuverdianu sukrader.

Papiamentu suku

Derived from Portuguese açúcar, Spanish azúcar, and Kabuverdianu sukra.

Noun

suku

1. sugar

Sranan Tongo

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch zoeken.

Verb

suku

1. to search, to try to find, to look (for)
   • c. 1970, Michaël Slory, “Dungru worku broko a faja gi mi: wan fresko mamanten”, in Fri-kontren-sma‎^[4], archived from the original on 14 August 2025, page 9:

     Mi o gwe go suku wan tra sortu libi now.

     I'll go away now, to look for a different kind of life.

Noun

suku

1. search
2. romantic or erotic proposal

Sundanese

Sundanese register set
lemes	sampéan, dampal
lemes ka sorangan	{{{les}}}
lemes ka batur	{{{leb}}}
loma	suku
cohag	cokor, cékér

Etymology

• (foot): From Javanese ꦱꦸꦏꦸ (suku) Inherited from Proto-Austronesian *sukud (“walking stick, cane, staff”).
• (half a rupiah): From Malay. Compare Indonesian suku (“quarter, half a rupiah”).

Noun

suku (Sundanese spelling ᮞᮥᮊᮥ)

1. foot
2. half a rupiah (50 cent)

Derived terms

• dampal suku
• indung suku
• panyuku
• tonggong suku

Ternate

Etymology 1

From Malay suku (“a quarter, fourth”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈsu.ku]

Noun

suku

1. a quarter real (the coin)

Etymology 2

From Malay syukur, from Arabic شُكْر (šukr).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈsu.ku]

Noun

suku

1. thanks, gratitude

Alternative forms

• sukur

References

• Rika Hayami-Allen (2001), A descriptive study of the language of Ternate, the northern Moluccas, Indonesia, University of Pittsburgh

Tetum

Etymology 1

Unknown.

Noun

suku

1. tribe
2. (government) village

Etymology 2

A Papuan word, compare Fataluku suku.

Verb

suku

1. to sew

Trió

Noun

suku

1. urine

Votic

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *suku.

Pronunciation

• (Luutsa, Liivčülä) IPA^(key): /ˈsuku/, [ˈsuku]
• (Jõgõperä) IPA^(key): /ˈsuku/, [ˈsuku]
• (Central Votic) IPA^(key): /ˈsuku/, [ˈsuku]
• (Eastern Votic) IPA^(key): /ˈsuku/, [ˈsuku]
• Rhymes: -uku
• Hyphenation: su‧ku

Noun

suku

1. extended family, kin, lineage
2. breed

Inflection

Declension of suku (type II/võrkko, k-g gradation)
	singular	plural
nominative	suku	sugud
genitive	sugu	sukujõ
partitive	sukkua	sukuit
illative	sukku, sukkusõ	sukuisõ
inessive	suguz	sukuiz
elative	suguss	sukuiss
allative	sugullõ	sukuillõ
adessive	sugull	sukuill
ablative	sugult	sukuilt
translative	sugussi	sukuissi
'Standardized' inflection based on the Vaipooli dialects; see WT:AVOT. For dialectal differences between case endings, see Appendix:Votic dialects. *) the accusative corresponds with either the genitive (sg) or nominative (pl) **) the terminative is formed by adding the suffix -ssaa to the short illative (sg) or the genitive. ***) the comitative is formed by adding the suffix -ka to the genitive.

References

• Hallap, V.; Adler, E.; Grünberg, S.; Leppik, M. (2012), “suku”, in Vadja keele sõnaraamat [A dictionary of the Votic language]‎^[5], 2nd edition, Tallinn

Ye'kwana

Variant orthographies

ALIV	suku
Brazilian standard	suku
New Tribes	sucu

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [suku]

Adverb

suku

1. while sitting, while seated

Noun

suku

1. urine

References

• Cáceres, Natalia (2011), “suku”, in Grammaire Fonctionnelle-Typologique du Ye’kwana‎^[6], Lyon, pages 264–265
• Hall, Katherine Lee (1988), The morphosyntax of discourse in De'kwana Carib, volumes I and II, Saint Louis, Missouri: PhD Thesis, Washington University, pages 226, 398: “[ṣuku] 'urine' […] suku - urine”
• Lauer, Matthew Taylor (2005), Fertility in Amazonia: Indigenous Concepts of the Human Reproductive Process Among the Ye’kwana of Southern Venezuela‎^[7], Santa Barbara: University of California, page 217: “sucu”