u-

Typographical substitution for μ.

u-

2. (metrology, informal, proscribed) Alternative form of μ-; abbreviation of micro-.

• This nonstandard variant is widely used digitally due to its ease of typing on a keyboard.

u-

1. combining form of ur (“water”)

• IPA^(key): /u/

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *ʊ̀-.

u-

1. 2nd person singular subject concord. Translates as thou, you singular or informal.

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *gʊ́-

u-

1. Class 3 subject concord.

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *bʊ́-

u-

1. Class 14 subject concord.

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *bʊ̀-.

u-

1. Class 14 noun prefix.

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *jʊ̀-.

u-

1. Class 1 pronominal concord.

• wa

u-

1. (subject marker for tense modifying pronouns) I

Inherited from Old Czech u-, from Proto-Slavic *u-. Doublet of ú-.

u-

1. (away) from

   ‎u- + ‎stoupit (“step”) → ‎ustoupit (“yield”)

2. (inchoative)
3. (telicity)

   ‎u- + ‎vidět (“see”) → ‎uvidět (“catch sight out of”)

4. added to mean a bit

   ‎u- + ‎lít (“pour”) → ‎ulít (“pour off a little”)

5. (u- + imperfective base + se) intensification: until exhaustion, expressing final stage of a process. (collocates with k smrti (“to death”))

   ‎u- + ‎kašlat (“have a cough”) → ‎ukašlat se (“die of coughing”)

   ‎u- + ‎smát se (“laugh”) → ‎usmát se (“die of laughing”)

   ‎u- + ‎trápit se (“grieve”) → ‎utrápit se (“die of grief”)

6. (on perfective verbs) unintentionally, inadvertently, by mistake

   ‎u- + ‎řeknout (“say once”) → ‎uřeknout (“misspeak, say unintentionally once”)

7. (root modality) [i.e., deontic + dynamic modality: ability, obligation, permission, readiness]

   ‎u- + ‎zvednout (“lift”) → ‎uzvednout (“be able to lift”)

   ‎u- + ‎nést (“carry”) → ‎unést (“be able to carry”)

8. to gain by activity

   ‎u- + ‎šetřit (“to save”) → ‎ušetřit (“to save up”)

   ušetřit peníze. ― to save money.

• u-/ú- in Slovník afixů užívaných v češtině, 2017

From Old Norse ú-, ó-, from Proto-Germanic *un-, from Proto-Indo-European *n̥-, a prefix use of the particle *né (“not”). Doublet of a-.

u-

1. in-, un-, non-; (prefix meaning not, reversing the meaning)

• a-
• ikke-

• “u-” in Den Danske Ordbog

• IPA^(key): /u/

u-

2. marks the second-person plural subject on a verb

   ‎u- + ‎dibaia (“to spear”) → ‎udibaia (“you (pl.) speared it”)

• Oa, Morea and Ma`oni Paul. (2014-02-24). Tentative Grammar Description for the Gabadi Language. [working paper, draft created november 2013; editor: Eileen Gasaway]. Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea: SIL International. Available online: [1]. For the prefix u-, see page 23, section "5.1.1 subject marking".

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

u-

1. dual and plural prefix added to certain verbs

   ‎u- + ‎haele → ‎uhaele

   ‎u- + ‎lawaiʻa (“to fish”) → ‎ulawaiʻa (“to fish (of many person or often)”)

• u- in Combined Hawaiian Dictionary, at trussel2.com.

u-

1. Used to form physical nouns from verbs.

• ụ- (“prefix for forms quanifiable nouns from verbs”).

u-

1. Rōmaji transcription of う

From Proto-Bantu *ʊ́-.

u-

1. you singular (used for conjugating verbs to the subjective or nominative case of the personal pronoun)

u-

1. alternative form of mu-

From Proto-Bantu *ʊ̀-.

u- (medial wu-)

1. you, thou; second-person singular subject concord.

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

u-

1. Class 1a noun prefix.

From Proto-Bantu *ʊ́-.

u- (medial ka-)

1. he, she, it; class 1 subject concord.

From Proto-Bantu *gʊ́-.

u- (medial wu-)

1. he, she, it; class 3 subject concord.

u-

1. Class 11 noun prefix; form of ulu- used before stems of more than one syllable.

From Old Norse ú-, ó-, from Proto-Germanic *un-, from Proto-Indo-European *n̥-, a prefix use of the particle *né (“not”). Doublet of a-.

u-

1. un-, (in certain cases) im-
2. an abbreviation of certain words beginning with "u"

• “u-” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

From Old Norse ú- or ó-, English un-, German un-. With the intensifying function probably influenced by ov-.

• IPA^(key): /ʉː/

u-

1. un- (not)

   flaks → uflaks

   luck → bad luck

2. used to create an undesired version of the following noun

   vêr → uvêr

   weather → severe weather

   tid → utid

   time → inconvenient time

3. used to strengthen/intensify the following noun

   tal → utal

   number → huge number

4. an abbreviation of certain words beginning with "u"

• “u-” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *u-.

• IPA^(key): (10^th–15^th CE) /u/
• IPA^(key): (15^th CE) /u/

u-

1. perfective prefix

   ‎u- + ‎wiązać → ‎uwiązać

From Proto-Bantu *ʊ̀-.

u- (medial wu-)

1. you, thou; second-person singular subject concord.

From Proto-Bantu *ʊ́-.

u- (medial ka-)

1. he, she, it; class 1 subject concord.

From Proto-Bantu *gʊ́-.

u- (medial wu-)

1. he, she, it; class 3 subject concord.

Inherited from Old Polish u-.

• IPA^(key): /u/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -u
• Syllabification: [please specify syllabification manually]
• Homophones: ó, u, -u, -u-

u-

1. appears in front of some verbs meaning: to make something behave in a certain way, en-, be-, make

   Synonym: o-

   ‎u- + ‎łatwy → ‎ułatwiać

2. perfective prefix

   ‎u- + ‎bóść → ‎ubóść

3. added to mean "a bit"

   ‎u- + ‎lać → ‎ulać

4. added to mean away

   ‎u- + ‎iść → ‎ujść

5. (rare) added to mean successfully, often without an imperfective counterpart

   ‎u- + ‎ciągnąć → ‎uciągnąć

   ‎u- + ‎rzucić → ‎urzucić

• u- in Polish dictionaries at PWN

From Proto-Slavic *u-. Prefixed form of the preposition u.

• IPA^(key): /u-/

u-

1. Forms perfective verbs with the following meanings:
   1. (no change in meaning)

      ‎u- + ‎branīti (“to defend”) → ‎ubranīti (“to defend”)

   2. away

      ‎u- + ‎téči (“to run”) → ‎utéči (“to run away, escape”)

   3. (reflexive) to make a mistake while

      ‎u- + ‎štẹ́ti (“to count”) → ‎uštẹ́ti (“to miscount”)

From Proto-Bantu *ʊ̀-.

u- (medial wu-)

1. you, thou; second-person singular subject concord.

From Proto-Bantu *ʊ́-.

u- (medial ka-)

1. he, she, it; class 1 subject concord.

From Proto-Bantu *gʊ́-.

u- (medial wu-)

1. he, she, it; class 3 subject concord.

Other scripts
Ajami	اُـ

• w- (before a vowel)

From Proto-Bantu *dʊ̀- and Proto-Bantu *bʊ̀-.

u- (plural n- or ma-)

1. u class_(XI) noun prefix, denoting natural objects, extensions, abstract qualities, or collections of small things.

   ulimi mrefu ― a long tongue

   1. -ness, -ity

      ‎u- + ‎-chafu (“dirty”) → ‎uchafu (“dirtiness”)

      ‎u- + ‎mtoto (“child”) → ‎utoto (“childhood”)

      ‎u- + ‎binafsi (“self”) → ‎ubinafsi (“individualism”)

   2. forms names of countries

      ‎u- + ‎French France (“France”) → ‎Ufaransa (“France”)

Swahili merged the Bantu classes XI and XIV into one u class_(XI), having its adjective agreement in m class_(III).

• Appendix:Swahili noun classes

From Proto-Bantu *ʊ̀-.

u-

1. you, 2nd person singular subject concord

   Antonym: hu-

From Proto-Bantu *gʊ́- and Proto-Bantu *dʊ́-.

u-

1. it, m class_(III)/u class_(XI) subject concord

   Antonym: hau-

   • 18th century, Abdallah bin Ali bin Nasir, Al-Inkishafi‎^[2], stanza 13:

     هُنُ اُلِمِغُ بَحَرِ تِيْسِ ، اُنَ مَتُبَوِ نَمَغِ مَاسِ،

     Hunu ulimwengu baḥari tesi, una matumbawe na-mangi masi,

     This world is a troubled sea, it has corals and much wickedness;

2. verb-initial form of -u- (“it, m class_(III)/u class_(XI) object concord”)

From Proto-Bantu *ʊ̀-.

u- (medial wu-)

1. you, thou; second-person singular subject concord.

From Proto-Bantu *ʊ́-.

u- (medial ka-)

1. he, she, it; class 1 subject concord.

From Proto-Bantu *gʊ́-.

u- (medial wu-)

1. he, she, it; class 3 subject concord.

• IPA^(key): /ʔu/

u-

1. (transitive) Third person singular subject + third person duoplural object.

u-

1. Marks the irrealis mood

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *ʊ̀-.

u-

1. 2nd person singular subject concord. Translates as thou or you (singular or informal).

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *bʊ̀-.

u-

1. Class 14 noun prefix.

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *gʊ́-

1. alternative of wu-

From Proto-Bantu *ʊ̀-.

u- (medial wu-)

1. you, thou; second-person singular subject concord.

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

u-

1. Class 1a noun prefix.

From Proto-Bantu *ʊ́-.

u- (medial ka-)

1. he, she, it; class 1 subject concord.

From Proto-Bantu *gʊ́-.

u- (medial wu-)

1. he, she, it; class 3 subject concord.

u-

1. Class 11 noun prefix; form of ulu- used before stems of more than one syllable.

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *bʊ̀-

u-

1. Class 14 noun prefix.

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *ʊ̀-

u-

1. 2nd person singular subject concord.

• Alexander Hetherwick, Rev. A Handbook of the Yao Language, 1902

• IPA^(key): [u-]

u-

1. Allomorph of y- (first-person prefix) used for stems that begin with two consonants and have a first vowel u.

• ì-

IPA^(key): /ù/

ù-

1. (CY, SEY) abstract or instrument nominalizing prefix

Forms both abstract and concrete nouns:

• ù + gwẹ̀ "to swim" → ùgwẹ̀ "swimming"
• ù + gbálẹ̀ "to sweep floor" → ùgbálẹ̀ "broom"

• i-

IPA^(key): /ū/

u-

1. (CY, SEY) non-gerundive nominalizing prefix

   ‎u- + ‎kú (“to die”) → ‎ukú (“death”)

From Proto-Bantu *ʊ̀-.

u- (medial wu-)

1. you, thou; second-person singular subject concord.

From Proto-Bantu *ʊ́-. This noun class is marked simply with the class 1 augment and a null prefix.

ú-

1. Class 1a noun prefix.

From Proto-Bantu *ʊ́-.

ú- (medial ká-)

1. he, she, it; class 1 subject concord.

From Proto-Bantu *gʊ́-.

ú- (medial wú-)

1. he, she, it; class 3 subject concord.

Contracted from earlier úlu-, from Proto-Bantu *dʊ́-dʊ̀-.

û-

1. Class 11 noun prefix.

• C. M. Doke; B. W. Vilakazi (1972), “u-”, in Zulu-English Dictionary, →ISBN: “u-”