ulu

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ulu"

Languages (29)

Translingual • English

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Azerbaijani • Basque • Bulungan • Chamorro • Chinook Jargon • Chungli Ao • Crimean Tatar • Fijian • Hausa • Hawaiian • Iban • Ido • Indonesian • Inuktitut • Javanese • Limos Kalinga • Maguindanao • Makasar • Malay • Matigsalug Manobo • Niuean • Polish • Pukapukan • Samoan • Ternate • Turkish • Yoruba

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Page categories

Translingual

Etymology

Abbreviation of English Uma' Lung.

Symbol

ulu

1. (international standards) ISO 639-3 language code for Uma' Lung.

See also

• Wiktionary’s coverage of Uma' Lung terms

English

A West Greenlandic ulu.

An Alaskan ulu.

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Inuktitut ᐅᓗ (olo, “woman's knife”).

Noun

ulu (plural ulus or uluit)

1. An all-purpose knife traditionally used by Yup'ik, Inuit, and Aleut women.

Translations

knife

• Danish: ulo c
• German: Ulu
• Inuktitut: ᐅᓗ (olo)
• Russian: улу (ru) (ulu)
• Yup'ik: uluaq (most dialects), kegginalek (Chevak Cup'ik)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Hawaiian ʻulu.

Noun

ulu

1. (Hawaii) Breadfruit

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Malay ulu.

Pronunciation

• (Singapore) IPA^(key): /ˈuːluː/

Adjective

ulu (comparative more ulu, superlative most ulu)

1. (colloquial, Singlish) Remote; deserted
   • 2007, Neil Humphreys, Complete Notes from Singapore: The Omnibus Edition, page 157:

     Sembawang Park is considered to be one of the country's most ulu spots because of its comparative isolation, and it was almost empty.

   • 2009, Jean Tay, Boom, Epigram Books, →ISBN, Act I, scene xii, page 51:

     Just pretend you're walking in a more ulu part of Botanic Gardens.

Anagrams

• Luu

Azerbaijani

Etymology

From Proto-Common Turkic *ulug.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [uˈɫu]
• Hyphenation: u‧lu

Adjective

ulu

1. great (magnificent)
2. great (degree of kinship)

   ulu baba ― great-grandfather

3. ancient

   Synonym: qədim

4. (linguistics, genetics) proto-

   ulu dil ― proto-language

Further reading

• “ulu” in Obastan.com.

Basque

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ulu/ [u.lu]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ulu, -u
• Hyphenation: u‧lu

Noun

ulu inan

1. bay

Declension

Declension of ulu (inan V-stem)

	indefinite	singular	plural	proximal plural
absolutive	ulu	ulua	uluak	uluok
ergative	uluk	uluak	uluek	uluok
dative	uluri	uluari	uluei	uluoi
genitive	uluren	uluaren	uluen	uluon
comitative	ulurekin	uluarekin	uluekin	uluokin
causative	ulurengatik	uluarengatik	uluengatik	uluongatik
benefactive	ulurentzat	uluarentzat	uluentzat	uluontzat
instrumental	uluz	uluaz	uluez	uluotaz
inessive	ulutan	uluan	uluetan	uluotan
locative	ulutako	uluko	uluetako	uluotako
allative	ulutara	ulura	uluetara	uluotara
terminative	ulutaraino	uluraino	uluetaraino	uluotaraino
directive	ulutarantz	ulurantz	uluetarantz	uluotarantz
destinative	ulutarako	ulurako	uluetarako	uluotarako
ablative	ulutatik	ulutik	uluetatik	uluotatik
partitive	ulurik	—	—	—
prolative	ulutzat	—	—	—

Derived terms

• ulu egin

See also

• zaunka

Further reading

• “ulu”, in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy] (in Basque), Euskaltzaindia [Royal Academy of the Basque Language]
• “ulu”, in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia [General Basque Dictionary], Euskaltzaindia, 1987–2005

Bulungan

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *qulu. Doublet of uru.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈulu/

Adjective

ulu

1. upstream

Further reading

• Adul, M. Asfandi (1985), “ulu”, in Struktur Bahasa Bulungan‎^[2], Jakarta: Pusat Pembinaan dan Pengembangan Bahasa.

Chamorro

Etymology

From Pre-Chamorro *ʔulu, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *qulu, from Proto-Austronesian *qulu.

Noun

ulu

1. (anatomy) head (part of the body)

Chinook Jargon

Etymology

From Lower Chinook ulu, a noun meaning hunger in the Lower Chinook language.

Adjective

ulu

1. hungry

Chungli Ao

Verb

ulu

1. to be large, great

Inflection

Inflection of ulu (Chungli)

		Affirmative	Negative
Past	Simple	ulu	meulu
	Perfect	uluogo	meuluogo
Present	Simple	ulur	meulur
	Progressive	uludar uludagi	meuludar meuludagi
Future/infinitive		ulutsü	meulutsü
Imperative		uluang	teulu
Present participle		ulua	meului
Conditional		ulura ulurabang	meulura meulurabang

Further reading

• Clark, E. W. (1911), “ULU, tulu”, in Ao-Naga dictionary, Dimapur

Crimean Tatar

Etymology

From Proto-Common Turkic *ulug. Cognate to Kumyk уллу (ullu), Karachay-Balkar уллу (ullu), etc.

Adjective

ulu

1. big, large

References

https://web.archive.org/web/20240216064752/https://classes.ru/all-crtatar/dictionary-crtatar-russian-cyr-term-12056.htm

Fijian

Etymology

From Proto-Central Pacific *qulu, from Proto-Oceanic *qulu, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *qulu, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *qulu, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *qulu, from Proto-Austronesian *qulu.

Noun

ulu-na

1. (anatomy) head (part of the body)

   E cavu na ulu-na.

   His/her head is hurt.

2. hair (on the head); hairstyle

   E damu na ulu-na.

   S/he has red hair.

3. (figurative) head, mind, intelligence

   E ulu kaukauwa ko koya.

   S/he is intelligent

   (literally, “strong-headed”)

4. (figurative) leader, chief, head (person in charge)

Derived terms

• drau ni uluna (“hair”)
• iulubale (“excuse”)
• mala ni uluna (“single hair(s)”)
• ulu balavu (“long hair”)
• ulu buki (“hair in a bun”)
• ulu ca (“wrong-headed”)
• ulu cavu, ulu mate (“wig”)
• ulu cou, ulu drika, ulu pori (“bald”)
• ulu damu (“red hair”)
• ulu dina (“"real" Fijian hair, crinkly”)
• ulu kabi (“very tightly curled hair”)
• ulu kaukauwa (“intelligent”)
• ulu lala (“ignorant, empty-headed”)
• ulu maquru, ulu manji (“short, tightly curled hair”)
• ulu moce (“sleepy-head”)
• ulu qali (“plaited hair”)
• ulu sauvesu (“to somersault”)
• ulu sawelu (“damp hair”)
• ulu se (“scattered spikey hair”)
• ulu sede (“money-conscious”)
• ulu sigasiga (“blond hair”)
• ulu tasi (“shaved head”)
• ulu tawa (“knowledgeable person”)
• ulu teba, uluteba (“long hair undercut sharply”)
• ulu toa (“head of javelin”)
• ulu vakaViti (traditional Fijian hairstyle)
• ulu viro (“deliberately curled long hair”)
• ulu vula (“white hair”)
• ulu wai (“soft hair”)
• ulu waiwaiya (“very soft hair”)
• ulu- (“upper, top, head”)
• Ulu-ni-Vuaka, Naulunivuaka (early name of Bau Island)
• ulubale, ulubaletaka (“to offer an excuse”)
• ulukau (“stupid, wooden-head”)
• ulumatua (“eldest child”)
• uluvatu (“promontory, rocky peak”)
• vaka na ulu (“to head for, go toward”)

References

• Gatty, Ronald (2009), “ulu”, in Fijian–English Dictionary‎^[3], Suva, Fiji: Ronald Gatty, →ISBN, pages 283–4

Hausa

Etymology

Borrowed from English wool.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔúː.lù/
  • (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA^(key): [ʔúː.lɪ̀]

Noun

ūlù m (possessed form ūlùn)

1. wool
2. wool thread

Synonyms

• (wool): wul

Hawaiian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈu.lu/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Polynesian *qulu.

Noun

ulu

1. growth
2. grove
3. flock

Derived terms

• ulu hōkū
• uluulu
• uluwehi

Verb

ulu

1. (intransitive) to grow

Derived terms

• hoʻoulu

Etymology 2

From Proto-Polynesian *huru (compare with Māori uru, Tahitian uru, Samoan ulu, Tongan hū all “to enter”) from Proto-Oceanic *huru (compare with Fijian curu (“to enter”)) from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *surup (“enter, penetrate”) – compare with Malay surup (“to possess”) and Javanese surup (“ibid., to enter”), Malay serap (“to absorb”), Tagalog sulop (“to seep, to penetrate”).

Verb

ulu

1. (intransitive) to inspire; to be possessed by a god

Derived terms

• hoʻoulu (“possess”, verb)

Iban

Etymology

From Proto-Malayic *hulu(ʔ), from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *qulu, from Proto-Austronesian *qulu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /u.lʊ/

Noun

ulu

1. handle of a weapon or tools

   Ulu sengayuh ― Shaft of the paddle

   Ulu duku ― Haft of the bush-knife

2. upstream; inland
3. clue of a riddle

Verb

ulu

1. to guide; to lead

   Uluka iya aku ngagai tuchung Bukit Sibau.

   He led me to the crest of Mount Sibau

2. to accompany

   Alai Wat, uluka Igat betemu enggau kepala pengajar.

   Come on, Wat, accompany Igat to meet the headmaster.

Ido

Pronoun

ulu

1. someone

Indonesian

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈulu/ [ˈu.lu]
• Rhymes: -ulu
• Syllabification: u‧lu

Etymology 1

Noun

ulu (plural ulu-ulu)

1. alternative form of hulu

Derived terms

• ulu hati

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Blagar [Term?].

Noun

ulu (plural ulu-ulu)

1. (dialect) food for goats in the form of grass and leaves

Further reading

• “ulu”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Inuktitut

Noun

ulu

1. Latin spelling of ᐅᓗ (olo)

Javanese

Romanization

ulu

1. romanization of ꦲꦸꦭꦸ

Limos Kalinga

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *qulu, from Proto-Austronesian *qulu.

Noun

ulu

1. (anatomy) head (part of the body)

Maguindanao

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *qulu.

Noun

ulu

1. head

Makasar

Etymology

From Proto-South Sulawesi *ulu, From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *qulu, from Proto-Austronesian *quluh.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈulu]

Noun

ulu (Lontara spelling ᨕᨘᨒᨘ or 𑻱𑻴𑻮𑻴, definite ulua)

1. (anatomy) head

Malay

Adjective

ulu (comparative lebih ulu, superlative paling ulu)

1. dated spelling of hulu (“upriver; head”)

Matigsalug Manobo

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *qulu, from Proto-Austronesian *qulu.

Noun

ulu

1. (anatomy) head (part of the body)

Niuean

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Polynesian *qulu, from Proto-Central Pacific *qulu, from Proto-Oceanic *qulu-, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *qulu, from Proto-Austronesian *qulu.

Noun

ulu

1. (anatomy) head
2. hair on the head

References

• Wolfgang B. Sperlich, editor (1997), Tohi Vagahau Niue—Niue Language Dictionary‎^[4], Honolulu: University of Hawaiʻi Press, →ISBN, page 344

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈu.lu/
• Rhymes: -ulu
• Syllabification: u‧lu

Noun

ulu m

1. locative/vocative singular of ul

Pukapukan

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *qulu, from Proto-Central Pacific *qulu, from Proto-Oceanic *qulu-, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *qulu, from Proto-Austronesian *qulu.

Noun

ulu

1. (anatomy) head (part of the body)

Further reading

• Te Pukamuna | Pukapuka Dictionary

Samoan

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Polynesian *qulu, from Proto-Central Pacific *qulu, from Proto-Oceanic *qulu-, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *qulu, from Proto-Austronesian *qulu.

Noun

ulu

1. (anatomy) head

References

• George Pratt (1861), Samoan dictionary: English and Samoan and Samoan and English with a short grammar of the Samoan dialect, Matautu, Samoa: London Missionary Society Press
• Milner, G.B. (1993), Samoan Dictionary, Auckland: Polynesian Press, →ISBN, page 299

Ternate

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈu.lu]

Verb

ulu

1. (stative) to be slack (of rope, etc.)

Conjugation

Conjugation of ulu

		singular	plural
			inclusive	exclusive
1st person		toulu	foulu	miulu
2nd person		noulu	niulu
3rd person	masculine	oulu	iulu youlu (archaic)
	feminine	moulu
	neuter	iulu

References

• Rika Hayami-Allen (2001), A descriptive study of the language of Ternate, the northern Moluccas, Indonesia, University of Pittsburgh

Turkish

Etymology

From Ottoman Turkish اولو (ulu, “great, big, large”), from Proto-Common Turkic *ulug.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /uˈɫu/, [uˈɫ̪ʊ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -u
• Hyphenation: u‧lu

Noun

ulu (definite accusative uluyu, plural ulular)

1. elder

   Synonym: büyük

   Boy uluları söylentileri doğrulamak için arkın çevresine bakındılar.

   Tribe elders checked around the canal in order to confirm the rumors.

Declension

Declension of ulu

	singular	plural
nominative	ulu	ulular
definite accusative	uluyu	uluları
dative	uluya	ululara
locative	uluda	ulularda
ablative	uludan	ululardan
genitive	ulunun	uluların

Adjective

ulu

1. grand, great, lofty, sublime

   Synonyms: yüce, büyük

   Ulu babamız, bizi işit ve bize hayır eyle.

   Our great father, hear us and do us good.

Declension

Predicative forms of ulu

present tense
	positive declarative	positive interrogative
ben (I am)	uluyum	ulu muyum?
sen (you are)	ulusun	ulu musun?
o (he/she/it is)	ulu / uludur	ulu mu?
biz (we are)	uluyuz	ulu muyuz?
siz (you are)	ulusunuz	ulu musunuz?
onlar (they are)	ulu(lar)	ulu(lar) mı?
past tense
	positive declarative	positive interrogative
ben (I was)	uluydum	ulu muydum?
sen (you were)	uluydun	ulu muydun?
o (he/she/it was)	uluydu	ulu muydu?
biz (we were)	uluyduk	ulu muyduk?
siz (you were)	uluydunuz	ulu muydunuz?
onlar (they were)	uluydular	ulu muydular?
indirect past
	positive declarative	positive interrogative
ben (I was)	uluymuşum	ulu muymuşum?
sen (you were)	uluymuşsun	ulu muymuşsun?
o (he/she/it was)	uluymuş	ulu muymuş?
biz (we were)	uluymuşuz	ulu muymuşuz?
siz (you were)	uluymuşsunuz	ulu muymuşsunuz?
onlar (they were)	uluymuşlar	ulu muymuşlar?
conditional
	positive declarative	positive interrogative
ben (if I)	uluysam	ulu muysam?
sen (if you)	uluysan	ulu muysan?
o (if he/she/it)	uluysa	ulu muysa?
biz (if we)	uluysak	ulu muysak?
siz (if you)	uluysanız	ulu muysanız?
onlar (if they)	uluysalar	ulu muysalar?

For negative forms, use the appropriate form of değil.

Derived terms

Proper nouns

• Uluabat
• Uluağaç
• Ulubey
• Uluborlu
• Uludere
• Ulukent
• Ulukışla
• Uluköy
• Ulupamir

Further reading

• “ulu”, in Turkish dictionaries, Türk Dil Kurumu
• Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–), “ulu”, in Nişanyan Sözlük

Yoruba

Etymology 1

From ù- (“nominalizing prefix”) +‎ lù (“to beat”). Literally, “that which is beaten”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ù.lù/

Noun

ùlù

1. (Ekiti, Ijesha) alternative form of ìlù (“drum, percussion”)

Etymology 2

Cognate with Yoruba ìlú

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ù.lú/

Noun

ùlú

1. (Ekiti, Ijebu, Ijesha, Ikalẹ, Ondo, Ọwọ) city, town, country

   Ọba òun ùjòyè wà núlùú. ― The monarch and the chiefs are in the city. (Ìjẹ̀bú)

Derived terms

• ùloòyìnbó (“The Western world”)