ու

See also: -ու

Armenian

Pronunciation

• (Eastern Armenian, standard) IPA^(key): [u]
• (Western Armenian, standard) IPA^(key): [u]

• Audio (Eastern Armenian)

  (file)

Etymology 1

From the Old Armenian digraph ու (u) representing [u], composed of ո (o) + ւ (w). Some have contended that Old Armenian ու (u) was a diphthong, but this is incorrect: representing the monophthong [u] with a digraph is modelled on Ancient Greek ου (ou) pronounced as [u]. Compare likewise the digraphs Aghwan 𐕒𐕡 (u), Old Georgian ႭჃ (u), Old Church Slavonic оу (u).

Letter

ու

ու lowercase (uppercase ՈՒ, title-case Ու)

1. The 34th letter of Armenian alphabet according to Reformed Orthography. Represents close back rounded vowel: [u]. Transliterated as u (sometimes as ow).

Usage notes

• Considered a separate letter after the spelling reform of the Armenian language of 1922–1924. The Traditional Armenian orthography treats ու as a simple digraph of ո (o) + ւ (w) and not as a separate letter.
• When used in sentence case, such as Ուրարտու (Urartu), the capital form of the letter is Ու. However, in all caps text it is ՈՒ, e.g. ՈՒՇԱԴՐՈՒԹՅՈՒՆ (UŠADRUTʻYUN).

See also

• (The Armenian script): Աա   Բբ   Գգ   Դդ   Եե   Զզ   Էէ   Ըը   Թթ   Ժժ   Իի   Լլ   Խխ   Ծծ   Կկ   Հհ   Ձձ   Ղղ   Ճճ   Մմ   Յյ   Նն   Շշ   Ոո   Չչ   Պպ   Ջջ   Ռռ   Սս   Վվ   Տտ   Րր   Ցց   Ււ   Փփ   Քք   Օօ   Ֆֆ
• (Letter combinations): ու   և   ﬔ   ﬕ   ﬓ   ﬗ   ﬖ
• (Dialectological): ՠ / ա̈   ա̊   ա̄   ը̂   է̀   էօ / օ̈   էօ̀ / օ̈̀   իւ / ո̈ւ   գ^յ   կ^յ   ք^յ   հ^յ   բՙ   դՙ   գՙ   ձՙ   ջՙ   ղՙ   ֈ   ʔ  
• (Punctuation):  ՙ    ՚   ՛   ՜   ՝   ՞   ՟   ․   ։   ֊
• (Symbols): ֏ ֎ ֍

Etymology 2

Inherited from Old Armenian ու (u).

Conjunction

ու • (u)

1. and

   ես ու դու ― es u du ― me and you

Usage notes

Generally used to link two things in close relation, such as in English you and I or in the sense of combining two clauses of close relation while deemphasizing their relationship. In English, this would generally be done by combining predicates, as in I went to the store and bought ice cream. It is never used as a conjunction in the fashion of և (ew), which is used as a coordinating conjunction between two independent clauses, as in I went to the store, and I bought ice cream.

Synonyms

• եւ (ew)

References

• Dum-Tragut, Jasmine (2009) Armenian: Modern Eastern Armenian (London Oriental and African Language Library; 14), Amsterdam, Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company, § 1.1.1, page 13
• Fortson, Benjamin W. (2010) Indo-European Language and Culture: An Introduction, second edition, Oxford: Blackwell, page 385

Old Armenian

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *h₁opi, a variant of *h₁epi, whence came եւ (ew).

Conjunction

ու • (u)

1. and

Usage notes

Uncommon in Old Armenian outside compounds.

Derived terms

• այրուձի (ayruji)
• եօթնուտասն (eōtʻnutasn)
• եօթնուտասներորդ (eōtʻnutasnerord)
• զինչուզինչ (zinčʻuzinčʻ)
• իբրու (ibru)
• իննուտասն (innutasn)
• հարցուփորձ (harcʻupʻorj)
• մարթուպատշաճ (martʻupatšač)
• ութուտասաներորդ (utʻutasanerord)
• ութուտասն (utʻutasn)
• պարտուպատշաճ (partupatšač)
• քարուկիր (kʻarukir)

 

Descendants

• Armenian: ու (u)

Further reading

• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1977) “ու”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume III, Yerevan: University Press, pages 589–590

Ottoman Turkish

Letter

ու • (u)

1. A digraph used in the Armeno-Turkish script. Represents close back rounded vowel: [u]. Transliterated as u.

See also

• (The Armeno-Turkish script): Աա   Գգ   Եե   Զզ   Էէ   Ըը   Թթ   Ժժ   Իի   Լլ   Խխ   Կկ   Հհ   Ղղ   Ճճ   Մմ   Յյ   Նն   Շշ   Չչ   Պպ   Սս   Վվ   Տտ   Րր   Փփ   Քք   Օօ   Ֆֆ   ՚
• (Primarily in Armenian words): Բբ   Դդ   Ծծ   Ձձ   Ջջ   Ոո   Ռռ   Ցց   Ււ
• (Letter combinations): էօ   իւ   ու   նկ   նղ  
• (Punctuation): ՛   ՜   ՝   ՞   ․   ։   ֊