سو

See also: سؤ and شو

Arabic

Etymology 1

Noun

سَوّ • (saww) m

1. alternative form of سَوْء (sawʔ, “badness, evil, corruption”)

Etymology 2

Verb

سَوِّ • (sawwi) (form II) /saw.wi/

1. second-person masculine singular imperative of سَوَّى (sawwā)

Azerbaijani

Noun

سو (countable and uncountable)

1. Arabic spelling of su (“water”)

Bakhtiari

Etymology 1

Colloquial form of Arabic صُبْح (ṣubḥ), Persian صبح (sobh).

Noun

سو (sow)

1. morning

   سو زی بیدار ایبوم ― sow e zi bidar eybuom. ― I'll wake up early in the morning.

2. tomorrow

   سو ایرم هونه ― sow eirom howne. ― I'll go home tomorrow.

Etymology 2

Colloquial form of سه (soh), ساو (sâv, “firewood, i.e. the usual desert-shrubs”), equivalent to Persian سوخت (sôxt, “combustion material, fuel”).

Noun

سو (sô)

1. firewood, i.e. the common desert-shrubs, thornbush
2. a hard-brushed broom

References

• Monchi-Zadeh, Davoud (1990) Wörter aus Xurāsān und ihre Herkunft (Acta Iranica; 29)‎^[1] (in German), Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 162 Nr. 478

Brahui

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Dravidian [Term?]. Cognate to Tamil தூ (tū), ஊ (ū), Gondi సవి (savi).

Noun

سُو (sū)

1. flesh, meat

Further reading

• Burrow, T., Emeneau, M. B. (1984) “3373”, in A Dravidian etymological dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford University Press, →ISBN.

Bulgar

Etymology

From Proto-Turkic *seb-.

Verb

سَو (sev)

1. (Volga Bulgar) to love, like

   عُلَمَا سَمنَ سَوَان مَسجِد سَمنَ عَمَارَة طَنَان اَكِل خَيرَاتلُ الُوى بَرَكاتلُ مُون سُوَار يَالِ [...] عَلىِ خوَاجَه آولِ آترَج خُواجَه آولِ آبُوبَكَر خُوَاجَه آولِ آلِبْ خُواجَه بَلُوى كُ ― 'Ulamâsemne sevên mescidsemne 'amâret tanân ekil hayrâtlu, elüwi berekâtlu Mûn Suwâr yêli [...] Ali howâce awli Atrac howâce awli Abûbeker howâce awli Alıp howâce belüwi kü. ― This is the monument of teacher [...] Ali's son teacher Atrac's son teacher Ebubeker's son teacher Alıp, who loves scholars and builds mosques, very beneficent, whose hands are fertile, who is descent from the big Suwâr clan.

Descendants

• Chuvash: сав (sav)

References

• Hakimzjanov, Farid Sabirzjanovich (1986) “New Volga Bulgarian Inscriptions”, in Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae‎^[2] (in Bulgar), volume 40, number 1, page 174
• Tekin, Talât (1988) Volga Bulgar kitabeleri ve Volga Bulgarcası [Volga Bulgarian Ephitaphs and Volga Bulgarian Language]‎^[3] (in Turkish), Ankara: Türk Tarih Kurumu Basımevi, →ISBN, pages 190-191
• Erdal, Marcel (1993) Die Sprache der wolgabolgarischen Inschriften (in German), Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, →ISBN, page 32

Chagatai

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Turkic *sub (“water”).

Alternative forms

• سوو (suv), سوی (suy)

Noun

سو (su) (definite accusative سویی (suyi) or سونی (suni), plural سولار (sular))

1. water

   Synonyms: آب (āb), اوسون

   سو ایچماک ― su ičmäk ― to drink water

   اچیق سو ― ačiq su ― bitter watter

   سونینک تامغاسی ― suniŋ tamğasi ― surface of the water

   کمیت سو ― kämiyyät-i su ― the abundance of water

   سو ساچماق ― su sačmaq ― to sprinkle water

   شوردریانینک سویی، امّا دریانینک سویی شیرین‌دور

   šordäryāniŋ suyi ačiq, amma däryāniŋ suyi šīrīn

   water of the sea is bitter, but the water of the river is sweet

2. stream, river

   فرات سو ― furāt-i su ― the Euphrates river

3. body of water, such as a lake, sea or ocean

   Coordinate terms: تینکیز (teŋiz), کول (köl)

4. tear

   Synonyms: اشک (äšk), کوز یاشی (köz yaši), سرشک (sirišk), یاش (yaš)

Derived terms

• سو یاغ (su yağ, “oil”)
• سوداق (sudaq, “a sort of fish”)
• سوساماق (susamaq, “to get thirsty”)
• سوسونماق (susunmaq, “to be watered”)
• سوسیز (susiz, “waterless, thirsty”)
• سوغارماق (suğarmaq, “to water”)
• سوغالماق (suğalmaq, “to flow”)
• سوغو (suğu, “water-pail”)
• سوغور (suğur, “cup”)
• سولاماق (sulamaq, “to water”)
• سولو (sulu, “watery”)
• سولوق (suluq, “a waterproof garment”)
• سوواماق (suvamaq, “to smear”)
• سوچی (suči, “waterman, water carrier”)

Descendants

• Uyghur: سۇ (su)
• Uzbek: suv

Further reading

click to expand

• 御製五體清文鑑 / han-i araha sunja hacin hergen kamciha manju gisun-i buleku bithe [Pentaglot Dictionary] (overall work in Manchu, Classical Tibetan, Classical Mongolian, Chagatai, and Mandarin), Beijing, 1794, page 197
• el-Buhari, Süleyman Özbeki (1881) “سو”, in لغت چغتای و ترکی عثمانی [Ottoman Turkish-Chagatai Dictionary]‎^[4] (in Ottoman Turkish), volume 1, page 187
• Schluessel, Eric (2018) “سو”, in An Introduction to Chaghatay: A Graded Textbook for Reading Central Asian Sources‎^[5], Michigan Publishing, page 17
• Courteille, Abel Pavet de (1870) “سو”, in Dictionnaire turk-oriental [Eastern Turkic Dictionary]‎^[6] (in French), Paris: Imprimerie Impériale, page 350
• Vámbery, Ármin (1867) “سو”, in Ćagataische sprachstudien‎^[7] (in German), Leipzig, F. A. Brockhaus, page 296
• Shaw, Robert Barkley (1880) “سو”, in “Turki-English vocabulary” (chapter 2), in A Sketch of the Turki Language as Spoken in Eastern Turkistan (Káshgar and Yarkand)‎^[8], Calcutta: Baptist Mission Press, page 123
• Demir, Necati, Aydoğdu, Özkan (2015) Oğuzname [Kazan Nüshası]: inceleme - metin - dizin - tıpkıbasım [Oğuzname [Kazan Manuscript]: analysis - text - index - facsimile], Istanbul: Kesit Yayınları, page 328
• András J. E. Bodrogligeti, A Grammar of Chagatay (2001) (su)

Etymology 2

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

Alternative forms

• سوی

Noun

سو (so)

1. side, face

Further reading

• Bahawudun, Muhemmettursun, Gheyurani, Ghenizat, Qadir, Isma'il, Ehet, Ablimit (2002) “سو”, in چاغاتاي تىلىنىڭ ئىزاھلىق لۇغىتى [Explanatory Dictionary of the Chagatai Language]‎^[9] (in Uyghur), Shinjang Xelq Neshriyati, →ISBN

Kipchak

Etymology

From Proto-Turkic *sub (“water”).

Noun

سو (su) (Mamluk-Kipchak)

1. water

References

• Munytu'l-Ghuzāt: a 14th-century Mamluk-Kipchak military treatise
• Vocabulaire arabe-kiptchak de l'époque de l'État mamelouk

Mazanderani

Etymology 1

Compare Middle Persian swk' (sōg, “side, direction”), Persian سوی (suy).

Noun

سو (so)

1. ethnicity
2. breed, type

Etymology 2

Compare Persian ساییدن (sâyidan), سابیدن (sâbidan), سودن (sudan, “to rub, to grind, to sharpen”).

Noun

سو (so)

1. grinding

   سو سنگ ― so-e seng ― grinding stone

2. sharpening

Etymology 3

Related to سوسو (winking, burning), and dialectal Persian سو (su, “bright, shimmer, view”).

Noun

سو (su)

1. igniting

   سو هاکردن ― su hakerden ― to ignite

Persian

Dari	سو
Iranian Persian
Tajik	сӯ, су

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [soː], [suː]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [soː], [suː]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [soː], [suː]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [soː], [suː]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [sʊː], [su]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [suː]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [sɵ], [su]

Readings
Classical reading?	sō, sū
Dari reading?	sō, sū
Iranian reading?	su
Tajik reading?	sü, su

Etymology 1

From Middle Persian swk' (sōg, “side, direction”).

Noun

سو • (su)

1. alternative form of سوی (suy): direction, side

Etymology 2

From Middle Persian swk' (sōg, “burning, combustion”). Related to سوختن (suxtan, “to burn”). Compare Mazanderani سو (su), سوسو (susu, “bright, illuminating”).

Noun

سو • (su)

1. (archaic) light, sight, ability to see
2. (Tehrani) shimmer, glitter, sight
3. (Isfahan) glitter, sight
4. (Fars) sight, opinion
5. (Khorasan) sight, glitter, view

Etymology 3

Inherited from Middle Persian swk' (sōg, “profit, advantage”), or alternative form of سود (sud).

Noun

سو • (su, so)

1. profit
2. advantage

References

• MacKenzie, D. N. (1971) “swk'”, in A concise Pahlavi dictionary, London, New York, Toronto: Oxford University Press, page 75
• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1892) “سو”, in A Comprehensive Persian–English dictionary, London: Routledge & K. Paul
• Vullers, Johann August (1856–1864) “سو”, in Lexicon Persico-Latinum etymologicum cum linguis maxime cognatis Sanscrita et Zendica et Pehlevica comparatum, e lexicis persice scriptis Borhâni Qâtiu, Haft Qulzum et Bahâri agam et persico-turcico Farhangi-Shuûrî confectum, adhibitis etiam Castelli, Meninski, Richardson et aliorum operibus et auctoritate scriptorum Persicorum adauctum‎^[10] (in Latin), volume II, Gießen: J. Ricker, page 340

Salar

Noun

سو (su)

1. water

References

• ABVD

Sindhi

Etymology

From Sanskrit शत (śata).

Numeral

سو • (sau)

1. hundred

Urdu

Etymology 1

Perhaps from Sanskrit सह (saha).

Adverb

سو • (so) (Hindi spelling सो)

1. so, hence
2. therefore
3. consequently

References

• “سو”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
• Qureshi, Bashir Ahmad (1971) “سو”, in Kitabistan's 20th Century Standard Dictionary‎, Lahore: Kitabistan Pub. Co., page 388

Etymology 2

Inherited from Sanskrit शत (śata), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *ćatám, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱm̥tóm. Compare also Persian صد (sad).

Numeral

Urdu numbers ^(edit)

		1,000
[a], [b] ←  90	[a], [b] ←  99	۱۰۰ 100	101  →	1,000  →
		10
Cardinal: سَو (sau), صَد (sad), سَین٘کڑا (sa͠ikṛā)     Ordinal: سَوواں (sauvā̃)     Multiplier: سَو گُنا (sau gunā)

سو • (sau) (Hindi spelling सौ)

1. hundred

Synonyms

• صد (sad)
• سینکڑا (saiṅkṛā)

References

• “سو”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
• “sau”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2025.