cau

See also: câu, cầu, cấu, cẩu, čau, cậu, and ĉaŭ

Catalan

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central, Valencian) IPA^(key): /ˈkaw/
• Rhymes: -aw

Etymology 1

From Latin cavum, cavus, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱówHwos (“cavity”).

Noun

cau m (plural caus)

1. den; burrow; lair
2. (by extension) hiding place
3. (figuratively) sty; hovel

Derived terms

• a cau d'orella

Related terms

• cavar
• cavitat
• còncau
• excavar

Etymology 2

From the verb caure (“to fall”).

Verb

cau

1. third-person singular present indicative form of caure
2. second-person singular imperative form of caure

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Kanakanabu

Etymology

From Proto-Austronesian *Cau. Cognates with Tagalog tao, Cebuano tawo.

Noun

cau

1. person

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Occitan

Etymology

From Latin cavus.

Adjective

cau m (feminine singular cava, masculine plural caus, feminine plural cavas)

1. hollow

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Vietnamese

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [kaw˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [kaw˧˧]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [ka(ː)w˧˧]

Etymology 1

From Proto-Vietic *kaw.

Noun

(classifier cây, trái) cau • (榚, 槁, 槔, 橰, 𥢐)

1. areca

   Synonym: nang

Etymology 2

Verb

cau • (皋, 皐, 󰎹)

1. to frown

Derived terms

Derived terms

• cau có

 

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Welsh

Etymology 1

From Proto-Celtic *kageti, from Proto-Indo-European *kagʰ- (“catch, grasp”) (compare Oscan 𐌊𐌀𐌇𐌀𐌃 (kahad, “may he take”), Albanian kam (“to have, hold”).

Alternative forms

• caeu (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /kaɨ̯/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /kai̯/

Verb

cau (first-person singular present caeaf)

1. (transitive, intransitive) to close, shut
2. (transitive) to fasten
3. (intransitive) to heal, to close

Conjugation

Conjugation (literary)

	singular			plural			impersonal
	first	second	third	first	second	third
present indicative/future	caeaf	caei	cae	caewn	caewch	caeant	caeir
imperfect (indicative/subjunctive)/ conditional	caewn	caeit	caeai	caeem	caeech	caeent	caeid
preterite	caeais	caeaist	caeodd	caeasom	caeasoch	caeasant	caewyd
pluperfect	caeaswn	caeasit	caeasai	caeasem	caeasech	caeasent	caeasid, caeesid
present subjunctive	caewyf	caeych	caeo	caeom	caeoch	caeont	caeer
imperative	—	cau, caea	caeed	caewn	caewch	caeent	caeer
verbal noun	cau
verbal adjectives	caeedig caeadwy

Conjugation (colloquial)

Inflected colloquial forms	singular			plural
	first	second	third	first	second	third
future	caea i, caeaf i	caei di	caeith o/e/hi, caeiff e/hi	caewn ni	caewch chi	caean nhw
conditional	caewn i, caeswn i	caeet ti, caeset ti	caeai fo/fe/hi, caesai fo/fe/hi	caeen ni, caesen ni	caeech chi, caesech chi	caeen nhw, caesen nhw
preterite	caeais i, caees i	caeaist ti, caeest ti	caeodd o/e/hi	caeon ni	caeoch chi	caeon nhw
imperative	—	caea	—	—	caewch	—
Note: All other forms are periphrastic, as usual in colloquial Welsh.

Antonyms

• agor

Derived terms

• ar gau (“closed, shut”)
• cau am (“to enclose, to encircle”)
• cau ceg (“to keep quiet”)
• cau llygaid ar (“to turn a blind eye”)

Related terms

• cae (“enclosure, field”)
• caer (“castle, hold”)

Etymology 2

From Middle Welsh keu, from Proto-Brythonic, from Proto-Celtic *kuwo-, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱowHós (“hollow”), from *ḱewH- (“to swell”).

Cognate with Cornish kow, Breton kev.

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /kaɨ̯/
• (South Wales, standard, colloquial) IPA^(key): /kai̯/
  • (South Wales, standard, colloquial) IPA^(key): /kɔi̯/

Adjective

cau (feminine singular cau, plural ceuon, equative ceued, comparative ceuach, superlative ceuaf)

1. hollow, empty, sunken
2. (figuratively) false, deceitful
3. enclosing; shut, closed

Antonyms

• solet (“solid”)

Related terms

• ceudod (“hollow”)

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
cau	gau	nghau	chau
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present) , “cau”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies