ու
Armenian[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
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].[1] Compare Old Church Slavonic оу (u).
Letter[edit]
ու lowercase (uppercase ՈՒ, title-case Ու)
- The 34th letter of Armenian alphabet according to Reformed Orthography. Represents close back rounded vowel: [u]. Transliterated as u (sometimes as ow).
Usage notes[edit]
- 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 (UŠADRUTʿYUN).
See also[edit]
- (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 օ̈ ո̈ւ բՙ դՙ գՙ ձՙ ջՙ ֈ / յ̵ ʔ
- (Punctuation): ՙ ՚ ՛ ՜ ՝ ՞ ՟ ․ ։ ֊
- (Symbols): ֏ ֎ ֍
References[edit]
- ^ Gočanean, Pōłos (2011) Dasakan grabari gorcnakan kʿerakanutʿiwn [Practical Grammar of Classical Old Armenian] (in Armenian), Vienna, Yerevan: Mekhitarist Press, page 8, footnote 1
Etymology 2[edit]
Conjunction[edit]
ու • (u)
- and
- ես ու դու ― es u du ― me and you
Usage notes[edit]
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[edit]
- եւ (ew)
References[edit]
- 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