kuka

See also: Appendix:Variations of "kuka"

Finnish

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *ku, from Proto-Uralic *ku- ~ *ko-. The nominative and genitive singular forms, which would have otherwise been monosyllabic, have been extended with -ka (as with joka and mikä). Cognate with Estonian kumb (“which”), Erzya кона (kona, “which”), кода (koda, “how”), Hungarian hol (“where”), Forest Enets [script needed] (hōke, “which one”), Nganasan [script needed] (kuninu, “where”), and Kamassian [script needed] (kāmǝ̑n, “if”).

Inflected forms in modern Finnish are suppletive, deriving from a merger with ken (see the inflection section).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkukɑ/, [ˈkukɑ̝]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ukɑ
• Hyphenation^(key): ku‧ka

Pronoun

kuka

1. (interrogative) who

   Kuka on ovella?

   Who is at the door?

2. (relative) who (as an 'independent' relative pronoun; see the usage notes)

   En tiedä kuka sen teki.

   I don't know who did it.

3. (relative, dialectal) who

   Synonyms: joka, mikä

Usage notes

• The singular forms are sometimes used colloquially instead of the actual plural forms. ketä is particularly common for keitä. In some dialects, ketä is used as the nominative singular form in place of kuka.
• kuka is only used as an 'independent' relative pronoun in standard Finnish. It is used for persons, while mikä is used otherwise. See the usage notes of mikä for more on this usage (#4). Outside of this usage, kuka is used as a relative pronoun only in dialects, and joka or mikä is used instead.
• kuka may behave as an indefinite pronoun with an additional word like ikinä, hyvänsä, tahansa (after kuka), or vaikka (before kuka). Some relative uses may also be indefinite:

  Oli kuka oli. (dismissive nuance)

  Whoever it was.

  (literally, “[It] was who [it] was.”)

Inflection

• In modern Finnish, forms based on the stem form ke- or kene- are the usual inflected forms of the interrogative personal pronoun. Inflected forms based on the stem ku- are now archaic and somewhat poetic, even though the nominative singular kuka is modern. Conversely, the alternative nominative form ken is now archaic or poetic.
  • Thus, kuta sinä rakastat?, while standard, would to a modern speaker appear roughly as archaic as "Whom dost thou love?"
• The illative, adessive, ablative and allative singular cases have alternative forms of equal value; both forms are commonly used. Thus, keneen ~ kehen, kenellä ~ kellä, kenelle ~ kelle and keneltä ~ keltä exist in free variation. Some speakers may consider the former forms to be somewhat more formal, but no such prescription exists.
• Like personal pronouns, a special accusative form exists: kenet (compare minut, sinut, etc.).
• Some cases of kuka/ken are hardly used at all. The inflection table below shows the archaic or otherwise rarely used forms in brackets.
• The instructive plural kuin(ka)*, the instructive singular kun* and the causative singular kuten* (with the dated, archaic form kutenka*) are used as adverbs with completely different meanings from “who”.
• In the inflection table below, poetic and/or archaic forms are shown in brackets and modern usage without brackets.

Declension of kuka noun case singular plural adverbial form singular plural nominative kuka (ken) (kutka) ketkä superessive – – genitive (kunka) kenen (kuiden) keiden (kuitten) keitten delative – – partitive (kuta) ketä (kuita) keitä sublative – – accusative (kunka) kenet (kutka) ketkä lative – – inessive (kussa) kenessä (kuissa) keissä temporal (kulloin) – elative (kusta) kenestä (kuista) keistä causative (kuten*, kutenka*) – illative (kuhun) keneen, kehen (kuihin) keihin multiplicative – – adessive (kulla) kenellä, kellä (kuilla) keillä distributive – – ablative (kulta) keneltä, keltä (kuilta) keiltä temp. dist. – – allative (kulle) kenelle, kelle (kuille) keille prolative – – essive (kuna) kenenä, kenä (kuina) keinä situative – – translative (kuksi) keneksi (kuiksi) keiksi oppositive – – abessive (kutta) kenettä (kuitta) keittä instructive (kun*) (kuin, kuinka*) (—) comitative – –

Synonyms

• ken (see the inflection section above)

Derived terms

• kuhunka
• kuitenkaan
• kuitenkin
• kukaan
• kukin
• kulloin
• kumpi
• kunne
• kuten
• kutenka

 

compounds

• ei-kenenkään-maa
• kukaties
• kutakuinkin

 

Related terms

• joka
• jokin
• joku
• jompikumpi
• kukaan
• kukaties
• kukin
• kumpi
• kumpikaan
• kumpikin

 

See also

• kukapa tietää?

Further reading

• “kuka”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

Anagrams

• akku

Hawaiian

Etymology

From English coat.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈku.ka/, [ˈku.kə]

Noun

kuka

1. coat

Hungarian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkukɒ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ku‧ka
• Rhymes: -kɒ

Etymology 1

Uncertain; perhaps an Italian loan word, compare Northern Italian cuco (“goofy”).

Adjective

kuka

2. dumb (as a fish), tongue-tied (not saying a word)

Derived terms

• Kuka (Dopey, one of the Seven Dwarfs)

 

Etymology 2

Via Czech, from German KUKA, short for Keller und Knappich Augsburg, a German firm which manufactured and supplied orange refuse collection vehicles. Today the company KUKA produces industrial robots and automation technologies.

Noun

kuka (plural kukák)

2. garbage can, trash can, refuse bin (especially an outdoor container)

   Coordinate terms: szemetes, szemetesvödör, szemétkosár, szemetesláda, szemétláda

Declension

Inflection (stem in long/high vowel, back harmony)
	singular	plural
nominative	kuka	kukák
accusative	kukát	kukákat
dative	kukának	kukáknak
instrumental	kukával	kukákkal
causal-final	kukáért	kukákért
translative	kukává	kukákká
terminative	kukáig	kukákig
essive-formal	kukaként	kukákként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	kukában	kukákban
superessive	kukán	kukákon
adessive	kukánál	kukáknál
illative	kukába	kukákba
sublative	kukára	kukákra
allative	kukához	kukákhoz
elative	kukából	kukákból
delative	kukáról	kukákról
ablative	kukától	kukáktól
non-attributive possessive - singular	kukáé	kukáké
non-attributive possessive - plural	kukáéi	kukákéi

Possessive forms of kuka
possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	kukám	kukáim
2nd person sing.	kukád	kukáid
3rd person sing.	kukája	kukái
1st person plural	kukánk	kukáink
2nd person plural	kukátok	kukáitok
3rd person plural	kukájuk	kukáik

Further reading

• (dumb): kuka in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN
• (garbage can): kuka in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN
• (wooden hook used for drying tobacco): kuka in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN

Ingrian

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *kuka, from Proto-Uralic *ku-. Cognates with Finnish kuka (“who”).

The inflected forms derive from Proto-Finnic *ku.

Pronunciation

• (Ala-Laukaa) IPA^(key): /ˈkukɑ/, [ˈkukɑ]
• (Soikkola) IPA^(key): /ˈkukɑ/, [ˈkuɡ̊ɑ]
• Rhymes: -ukɑ
• Hyphenation: ku‧ka

Pronoun

kuka

1. which? (of many)

Declension

Declension of kuka
	singular	plural
nominative	kuka	kut
genitive	kunen
partitive	kuta
illative	kuhu
inessive	kus
elative	kust
allative	kulle
adessive	kul
ablative	kult
translative	kuks
essive	kunenna
*) the accusative corresponds with either the genitive (sg) or nominative (pl)

Derived terms

• kukkaa
• kunne

 

References

• Ruben E. Nirvi (1971) Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 212

Pitjantjatjara

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkʊkɐ]

Noun

kuka

1. edible animal
2. meat

Derived terms

• kukaku ananyi (“to hunt”)
• kukaputju (“hunter”)
• kukanypa (“marked man, target”)

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈku.ka/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uka
• Syllabification: ku‧ka

Verb

kuka

1. third-person singular present of kukać

Quechua

Etymology

Perhaps from Aymara.

Noun

kuka

1. coca

Declension

declension of kuka

	singular	plural
nominative	kuka	kukakuna
accusative	kukata	kukakunata
dative	kukaman	kukakunaman
genitive	kukap	kukakunap
locative	kukapi	kukakunapi
terminative	kukakama	kukakunakama
ablative	kukamanta	kukakunamanta
instrumental	kukawan	kukakunawan
comitative	kukantin	kukakunantin
abessive	kukannaq	kukakunannaq
comparative	kukahina	kukakunahina
causative	kukarayku	kukakunarayku
benefactive	kukapaq	kukakunapaq
associative	kukapura	kukakunapura
distributive	kukanka	kukakunanka
exclusive	kukalla	kukakunalla

possessive forms of kuka

ñuqap - first-person singular

ñuqap (my)	singular	plural
nominative	kukay	kukaykuna
accusative	kukayta	kukaykunata
dative	kukayman	kukaykunaman
genitive	kukaypa	kukaykunap
locative	kukaypi	kukaykunapi
terminative	kukaykama	kukaykunakama
ablative	kukaymanta	kukaykunamanta
instrumental	kukaywan	kukaykunawan
comitative	kukaynintin	kukaykunantin
abessive	kukayninnaq	kukaykunannaq
comparative	kukayhina	kukaykunahina
causative	kukayrayku	kukaykunarayku
benefactive	kukaypaq	kukaykunapaq
associative	kukaypura	kukaykunapura
distributive	kukayninka	kukaykunanka
exclusive	kukaylla	kukaykunalla

qampa - second-person singular

qampa (your)	singular	plural
nominative	kukayki	kukaykikuna
accusative	kukaykita	kukaykikunata
dative	kukaykiman	kukaykikunaman
genitive	kukaykipa	kukaykikunap
locative	kukaykipi	kukaykikunapi
terminative	kukaykikama	kukaykikunakama
ablative	kukaykimanta	kukaykikunamanta
instrumental	kukaykiwan	kukaykikunawan
comitative	kukaykintin	kukaykikunantin
abessive	kukaykinnaq	kukaykikunannaq
comparative	kukaykihina	kukaykikunahina
causative	kukaykirayku	kukaykikunarayku
benefactive	kukaykipaq	kukaykikunapaq
associative	kukaykipura	kukaykikunapura
distributive	kukaykinka	kukaykikunanka
exclusive	kukaykilla	kukaykikunalla

paypa - third-person singular

paypa (his/her/its)	singular	plural
nominative	kukan	kukankuna
accusative	kukanta	kukankunata
dative	kukanman	kukankunaman
genitive	kukanpa	kukankunap
locative	kukanpi	kukankunapi
terminative	kukankama	kukankunakama
ablative	kukanmanta	kukankunamanta
instrumental	kukanwan	kukankunawan
comitative	kukanintin	kukankunantin
abessive	kukanninnaq	kukankunannaq
comparative	kukanhina	kukankunahina
causative	kukanrayku	kukankunarayku
benefactive	kukanpaq	kukankunapaq
associative	kukanpura	kukankunapura
distributive	kukaninka	kukankunanka
exclusive	kukanlla	kukankunalla

ñuqanchikpa - first-person inclusive plural

ñuqanchikpa (our(incl))	singular	plural
nominative	kukanchik	kukanchikkuna
accusative	kukanchikta	kukanchikkunata
dative	kukanchikman	kukanchikkunaman
genitive	kukanchikpa	kukanchikkunap
locative	kukanchikpi	kukanchikkunapi
terminative	kukanchikkama	kukanchikkunakama
ablative	kukanchikmanta	kukanchikkunamanta
instrumental	kukanchikwan	kukanchikkunawan
comitative	kukanchiknintin	kukanchikkunantin
abessive	kukanchikninnaq	kukanchikkunannaq
comparative	kukanchikhina	kukanchikkunahina
causative	kukanchikrayku	kukanchikkunarayku
benefactive	kukanchikpaq	kukanchikkunapaq
associative	kukanchikpura	kukanchikkunapura
distributive	kukanchikninka	kukanchikkunanka
exclusive	kukanchiklla	kukanchikkunalla

ñuqaykup - first-person exclusive plural

ñuqaykup (our(excl))	singular	plural
nominative	kukayku	kukaykukuna
accusative	kukaykuta	kukaykukunata
dative	kukaykuman	kukaykukunaman
genitive	kukaykupa	kukaykukunap
locative	kukaykupi	kukaykukunapi
terminative	kukaykukama	kukaykukunakama
ablative	kukaykumanta	kukaykukunamanta
instrumental	kukaykuwan	kukaykukunawan
comitative	kukaykuntin	kukaykukunantin
abessive	kukaykunnaq	kukaykukunannaq
comparative	kukaykuhina	kukaykukunahina
causative	kukaykurayku	kukaykukunarayku
benefactive	kukaykupaq	kukaykukunapaq
associative	kukaykupura	kukaykukunapura
distributive	kukaykunka	kukaykukunanka
exclusive	kukaykulla	kukaykukunalla

qamkunap - second-person plural

qamkunap (your(pl))	singular	plural
nominative	kukaykichik	kukaykichikkuna
accusative	kukaykichikta	kukaykichikkunata
dative	kukaykichikman	kukaykichikkunaman
genitive	kukaykichikpa	kukaykichikkunap
locative	kukaykichikpi	kukaykichikkunapi
terminative	kukaykichikkama	kukaykichikkunakama
ablative	kukaykichikmanta	kukaykichikkunamanta
instrumental	kukaykichikwan	kukaykichikkunawan
comitative	kukaykichiknintin	kukaykichikkunantin
abessive	kukaykichikninnaq	kukaykichikkunannaq
comparative	kukaykichikhina	kukaykichikkunahina
causative	kukaykichikrayku	kukaykichikkunarayku
benefactive	kukaykichikpaq	kukaykichikkunapaq
associative	kukaykichikpura	kukaykichikkunapura
distributive	kukaykichikninka	kukaykichikkunanka
exclusive	kukaykichiklla	kukaykichikkunalla

paykunap - third-person plural

paykunap (their)	singular	plural
nominative	kukanku	kukankukuna
accusative	kukankuta	kukankukunata
dative	kukankuman	kukankukunaman
genitive	kukankupa	kukankukunap
locative	kukankupi	kukankukunapi
terminative	kukankukama	kukankukunakama
ablative	kukankumanta	kukankukunamanta
instrumental	kukankuwan	kukankukunawan
comitative	kukankuntin	kukankukunantin
abessive	kukankunnaq	kukankukunannaq
comparative	kukankuhina	kukankukunahina
causative	kukankurayku	kukankukunarayku
benefactive	kukankupaq	kukankukunapaq
associative	kukankupura	kukankukunapura
distributive	kukankunka	kukankukunanka
exclusive	kukankulla	kukankukunalla

Derived terms

• kuka allpa (“cocaine”)

Descendants

• → Spanish: coca
  • → English: coca
    • → Chinese: 古柯 (gǔkē)

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *kuka (“hook, hook-shaped”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kûka/
• Hyphenation: ku‧ka

Noun

kȕka f (Cyrillic spelling ку̏ка)

1. hook

Declension

Declension of kuka

	singular	plural
nominative	kȕka	kȕke
genitive	kuke	kȗkā
dative	kuki	kukama
accusative	kuku	kuke
vocative	kuko	kuke
locative	kuki	kukama
instrumental	kukom	kukama

Further reading

• “kuka”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2024

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kûka/
• Hyphenation: ku‧ka

Noun

kȕka f (Cyrillic spelling ку̏ка)

1. Mediterranean slipper lobster (Scyllarides latus)

Declension

Declension of kuka

	singular	plural
nominative	kȕka	kȕke
genitive	kuke	kȗkā
dative	kuki	kukama
accusative	kuku	kuke
vocative	kuko	kuke
locative	kuki	kukama
instrumental	kukom	kukama

Further reading

• “kuka”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2024

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

kuka (Cyrillic spelling кука)

1. genitive singular of kuk

Swedish

Verb

kuka (present kukar, preterite kukade, supine kukat, imperative kuka)

1. Only used in kuka ur

Tok Pisin

Noun

kuka

1. crab

Tokelauan

Etymology

Borrowed from English cook.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈku.ka]
• Hyphenation: ku‧ka

Noun

kuka

1. cook, chef
2. cooked food

Verb

kuka

1. (transitive) to cook

Derived terms

• umukuka

 

References

• R. Simona, editor (1986), Tokelau Dictionary‎^[2], Auckland: Office of Tokelau Affairs, page 168

Yosondúa Mixtec

Etymology

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

Noun

kuka

1. comb

Derived terms

• chuꞌun kuka

 

References

• Beaty de Farris, Kathryn, et al. (2012) Diccionario básico del mixteco de Yosondúa, Oaxaca (Serie de vocabularios y diccionarios indígenas “Mariano Silva y Aceves”; 46)‎^[3] (in Spanish), third edition, Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, A.C., page 40