toutou

See also: tōutōu and tou-tou

French

Etymology

Reduplication of a sound-symbolic syllable to-, denoting a small and probably cute object. Appeared in the 17th century with the sense of "favorite", then evolved into "a docile person". For a similar formation in an unrelated language, compare Chinese 嘟嘟 (dūdū, “chubby, plump”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tu.tu/

• Audio (Canada):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -u
• Homophone: toutous

Noun

toutou m (plural toutous)

1. (informal, childish) doggie, bow-wow (dog)
2. (Quebec) soft toy, stuffed animal
3. (figuratively, derogatory) poodle (person servile towards someone whom he or she considers his or her superior)

   Synonym: caniche

Further reading

• “toutou”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Tokelauan

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *te-o-u-tou.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [to.u.ˈto.u]
• Hyphenation: to‧u‧to‧u

Determiner

toutou

1. (inalienable, definite) your

See also

Tokelauan possessive determiners

Definite inalienable (O-type)
		singular reference				plural reference
		sg	du		pl	sg	du		pl
			long	short			long	short
1st person	excl.	toku, tota1	to māua	to mā	to mātou	oku, ota1	o māua	o mā	o mātou
	incl.	―	to tāua	to tā	to tātou	―	o tāua	o tā	o tātou
2nd person		tō	toulua		toutou	ō	oulua		outou
3rd person		tona	to lāua	to lā	to lātou	ona	o lāua	o lā	o lātou
Definite alienable (A-type)
		singular reference				plural reference
		sg	du		pl	sg	du		pl
			long	short			long	short
1st person	excl.	taku, tata1	ta māua	ta mā	ta mātou	aku, ata1	a māua	a mā	a mātou
	incl.	―	ta tāua	ta tā	ta tātou	―	a tāua	a tā	a tātou
2nd person		tau	taulua		tautou	au	aulua		autou
3rd person		tana	ta lāua	ta lā	ta lātou	ana	a lāua	a lā	a lātou
Indefinite inalienable (O-type)
		singular reference				plural reference
		sg	du		pl	sg	du		pl
			long	short			long	short
1st person	excl.	hoku, hota1	ho māua	ho mā	ho mātou	ni oku, ni ota1	ni o māua	ni o mā	ni o mātou
	incl.	―	ho tāua	ho tā	ho tātou	―	ni o tāua	ni o tā	ni o tātou
2nd person		hō	houlua		houtou	ni ō	ni oulua		ni outou
3rd person		hona	ho lāua	ho lā	ho lātou	ni ona	ni o lāua	ni o lā	ni o lātou
Indefinite alienable (A-type)
		singular reference				plural reference
		sg	du		pl	sg	du		pl
			long	short			long	short
1st person	excl.	haku, hata1	ha māua	ha mā	ha mātou	ni aku, ni ata1	ni a māua	ni a mā	ni a mātou
	incl.	―	ha tāua	ha tā	ha tātou	―	ni a tāua	ni a tā	ni a tātou
2nd person		hau	haulua		hautou	ni au	ni aulua		ni autou
3rd person		hana	ha lāua	ha lā	ha lātou	ni ana	ni a lāua	ni a lā	ni a lātou

¹⁾ Sympathetic

References

• R. Simona, editor (1986), Tokelau Dictionary‎^[1], Auckland: Office of Tokelau Affairs, page 389