zulo

See also: żuło

Basque

Etymology

From Proto-Basque *zuLo.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

 

• IPA^(key): /s̻ulo/ [s̻u.lo]

• IPA^(key): (most dialects) /s̻ulo/ [s̻u.lo]
• IPA^(key): (Biscayan) /s̺ulo/ [s̺u.lo]

• Rhymes: -ulo, -o
• Hyphenation: zu‧lo

Noun

zulo inan

1. hole
2. pit
3. den, hiding place
4. (colloquial) grave
5. (colloquial) prison
6. (military) silo

Declension

Declension of zulo (inan V-stem)

	indefinite	singular	plural	proximal plural
absolutive	zulo	zuloa	zuloak	zulook
ergative	zulok	zuloak	zuloek	zulook
dative	zulori	zuloari	zuloei	zulooi
genitive	zuloren	zuloaren	zuloen	zuloon
comitative	zulorekin	zuloarekin	zuloekin	zulookin
causative	zulorengatik	zuloarengatik	zuloengatik	zuloongatik
benefactive	zulorentzat	zuloarentzat	zuloentzat	zuloontzat
instrumental	zuloz	zuloaz	zuloez	zulootaz
innesive	zulotan	zuloan	zuloetan	zulootan
locative	zulotako	zuloko	zuloetako	zulootako
allative	zulotara	zulora	zuloetara	zulootara
terminative	zulotaraino	zuloraino	zuloetaraino	zulootaraino
directive	zulotarantz	zulorantz	zuloetarantz	zulootarantz
destinative	zulotarako	zulorako	zuloetarako	zulootarako
ablative	zulotatik	zulotik	zuloetatik	zulootatik
partitive	zulorik	—	—	—
prolative	zulotzat	—	—	—

Derived terms

• ipurtzulo (“anus”)
• zulatu
• zulogune (“gully”)
• Zulueta

Descendants

• → Spanish: zulo (see there for further descendants)
• →? Spanish: silo (see there for further descendants)

Further reading

• “zulo”, in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy] (in Basque), Euskaltzaindia [Royal Academy of the Basque Language]
• “zulo”, in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia [General Basque Dictionary], Euskaltzaindia, 1987–2005

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈzulo]

Participle

zulo

1. neuter singular past active participle of zout

Esperanto

FWOTD – 29 August 2023

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish zulo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈzulo/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ulo
• Syllabification: zu‧lo

Noun

zulo (accusative singular zulon, plural zuloj, accusative plural zulojn)

1. (neologism) cache, hiding place

   Synonyms: kaŝejo, kaŝangulo

   • 1993, Jorge Camacho, La Majstro kaj Martinelli:

     […] aspektis nude kiel orfa lokalo kaj friske kiel kripta zulo.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈzu.lu/

• Hyphenation: zu‧lo

Noun

zulo m or f by sense (plural zulos)

1. uncommon form of zulu

Adjective

zulo m or f (plural zulos)

1. uncommon form of zulu

Further reading

• “zulo”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “zulo”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Basque zulo (“hole”). Possible doublet of silo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈθulo/ [ˈθu.lo] (Spain)
• IPA^(key): /ˈsulo/ [ˈsu.lo] (Latin America, Philippines)
• Rhymes: -ulo
• Syllabification: zu‧lo

Noun

zulo m (plural zulos)

1. (Spain) cache, hiding place
   • 2011, Natascha Kampusch, 3.096 días, Aguilar, →ISBN:

     Estaba enterrada en hormigón. Encerrada en un zulo hermético. El secuestrador volvió a advertirme de las trampas explosivas, de las alarmas, de los cables por los que llevaba la electricidad hasta mi refugio.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Descendants

• → Esperanto: zulo

Further reading

• “zulo”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025