kau

See also: Appendix:Variations of "kau"

Translingual

Symbol

kau

(international standards) ISO 639-2 & ISO 639-3 language code for Kanuri.

Ajië

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [kau]

Adjective

kau

big

References

Leenhardt, M. (1935) Vocabulaire et grammaire de la langue Houaïlou, Paris: Institut d'ethnologie. Cited in: "Houaïlou" in Greenhill, S.J., Blust, R., & Gray, R.D. (2008). The Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database: From Bioinformatics to Lexomics. Evolutionary Bioinformatics, 4:271–283.
Leenhardt, M. (1946) Langues et dialectes de l'Austro-Mèlanèsie. Cited in: "Ajiø" in Greenhill, S.J., Blust, R., & Gray, R.D. (2008). The Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database: From Bioinformatics to Lexomics. Evolutionary Bioinformatics, 4:271–283.

Dibabawon Manobo

Noun

kaù

hat

Fijian

Etymology

From Proto-Central-Pacific *kayu, from Proto-Oceanic *kayu, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kahiw (compare Malay kayu), from Proto-Austronesian *kaSiw.

Noun

kau

German

Pronunciation

Audio: (file)
Rhymes: -aʊ̯

Verb

kau

singular imperative of kauen

Hawaiian

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈkau̯/, [ˈkɐw], [ˈkɔw] (rapid speech)

Etymology 1

From Proto-Polynesian *taqu (compare with Maori tau "year"), from Proto-Oceanic [Term?], from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *taqun (compare with Malay tahun, Tagalog taón both meaning "year").

Noun

kau

season
kau wela ― summer

kau anu ― winter

kau o makalapua ― spring

ke kau o hāʻule lau ― autumn, fall
period of time, lifetime
I ke kau i ke aliʻi o Ka-mehameha.
In the time of the chief, Kamehameha.
semester, term

Etymology 2

From Proto-Polynesian *tau, from Proto-Oceanic [Term?], from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *taʀuq.

Verb

Template:haw-verb

to settle

References

Pukui, Mary Kawena, Elbert, Samuel H. (1986) “kau”, in Hawaiian Dictionary, Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press

Hokkien

For pronunciation and definitions of kau – see 交 (“to intersect; to cross; to reach; etc.”). (This term is the pe̍h-ōe-jī form of 交).

For pronunciation and definitions of kau – see 溝 (“ditch; trench; channel; etc.”). (This term is the pe̍h-ōe-jī form of 溝).

For pronunciation and definitions of kau – see 勾 (“to bend; to curve; to crook; to hook; to draw; to delineate; etc.”). (This term is the pe̍h-ōe-jī form of 勾).

For pronunciation and definitions of kau – see 郊 (“suburbs; outskirts; open spaces”). (This term is the pe̍h-ōe-jī form of 郊).

For pronunciation and definitions of kau – see 鉤 (“hook; barb; sickle; etc.”). (This term is the pe̍h-ōe-jī form of 鉤).

For pronunciation and definitions of kau – see 蛟 (“mythical flood dragon; etc.”). (This term is the pe̍h-ōe-jī form of 蛟).

For pronunciation and definitions of kau – see 高 (“Only used in 高長／高长.”). (This term is the pe̍h-ōe-jī form of 高).

Indonesian

Etymology

From Malay kau, from Proto-Malayic *kau(ʔ), from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(i-)kahu, from Proto-Austronesian *(i-)kaSu.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /kau̯/
(colloquial) IPA^(key): /ko/

Pronoun

kau

(poetic) Second-person singular pronoun: you, your, yours

Usage notes

Largely used in poetry and songs. Might be perceived as literary or disapproving.

Synonyms

Indonesian informal second-person pronouns:

anta (informal, mainly used by Muslim community)
antum (informal, mainly used by Muslim community)
coen (slang, East Java)
ente (informal, mainly used by Betawi ethnic group)
kamu (intimate)
ko, kowe (informal, Java)
kon, koen (colloquial, East Java)
lu, lo, loe, elu (informal, mainly used by Betawi ethnic group)
mika, mike (informal, Eastern Sumatra)

Japanese

Romanization

kau

Rōmaji transcription of かう

Kapampangan

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /kəˈu/ [kəˈu]

Hyphenation: ka‧u

Noun

kau

thirst

Kapingamarangi

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *kaRu.

Verb

kau

to swim

Makasar

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(i-)kahu, Proto-Austronesian *(i-)kaSu.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈka.u/
Hyphenation: ka‧u

Pronoun

kau (free pronoun)

you (familiar second person)

Malay

Etymology

Shortened form of engkau, from Proto-Malayic *kau(ʔ), from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(i-)kahu, from Proto-Austronesian *(i-)kaSu.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /kau̯/
Rhymes: -kau̯, -au̯
Audio (Malaysia): (file)

Pronoun

kau (Jawi spelling کاو)

you, your

Usage notes

Used among contemporary friends and relatives, especially of the same gender; also used in disapproving tones.

Mangarevan

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *kaRu.

Verb

kau

to swim

Maori

Etymology 1

From Proto-Polynesian *kau (compare with Hawaiian ʻau), from Proto-Oceanic *kayu, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kahiw (compare with Malay kayu), from Proto-Austronesian *kaSiw.

Verb

kau (used in the form rākau)

tree; wood
stick

Derived terms

kakau (“handle; stem”)
kaunoti (“bottom firestick”)
kaupae (“trestle”)
kaupapa (“platform”)
kaupeka (“branch”)
kaurapa (“buttress”)

Etymology 2

From Proto-Polynesian *kaRu.

Verb

kau (used in the form kauhoe-tia)

to swim

Derived terms

kau aihe (“the butterfly stroke”)
kau āpuru (“the breaststroke”)
kau kiore (“the backstroke”)
kau tāhoe (“the sidestroke”)
kau tāwhai (“freestyle swimming; to swim freestyle”)
kau tīraha (“the backstroke; to swim backstroke”)

Etymology 3

Borrowed from English cow.

Noun

kau

a cow

Derived terms

Marshallese

Etymology

Borrowed from English cow.

Pronunciation

(phonetic) IPA^(key): [kɑːu], (enunciated) [kɑ wu]
(phonemic) IPA^(key): /kæɰwiw/
Bender phonemes: {kahwiw}

Noun

kau (construct form kauin)

cow
beef

References

Marshallese–English Online Dictionary

Pitcairn-Norfolk

Etymology

From English cow.

Noun

kau

cow

Rapa Nui

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *kau. Cognates include Hawaiian ʻau and Maori kau.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈka.u/
Hyphenation: ka‧u

Verb

kau

(intransitive) to swim

References

Veronica Du Feu (1996) Rapanui (Descriptive Grammars), Routledge, →ISBN, page 207
Paulus Kieviet (2017) A grammar of Rapa Nui‎^[1], Berlin: Language Science Press, →ISBN, page 29

Tagalog

Etymology

From kayo but the last syllable replaced with homophonous English U. See also un for iyon, and ngaun for ngayon.

Pronoun

kau (Baybayin spelling ᜃᜌᜓ) (text messaging, Internet slang)

Abbreviation of kayo (“you (plural or sometimes polite singular form)”).

Tok Pisin

Etymology

From English cow.

Noun

kau

cow

Tuamotuan

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *kaRu.

Verb

kau

to swim

Wolio

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kahiw, from Proto-Austronesian *kaSiw.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /kau/

Noun

kau

wood

References

Anceaux, Johannes C. (1987) Wolio Dictionary (Wolio-English-Indonesian) / Kamus Bahasa Wolio (Wolio-Inggeris-Indonesia), Dordrecht: Foris

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

Malay personal pronouns
		singular	plural
1^st 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)
1^st person	royal	beta／بيتا
2^nd person	standard	kamu／کامو anda／اندا (formal)
	standard	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
3^rd person	standard	dia／دي ia／اي beliau／بلياو (honorific) -nya／-ڽ (possessive)	mereka／مريک dia orang／دي اورڠ (informal)
3^rd person	royal	baginda／بݢيندا	mereka／مريک dia orang／دي اورڠ (informal)