cousa

cousa f (plural couses)

1. alternative form of cosa

From Old Galician-Portuguese cousa, from Latin causa. Doublet of causa, a borrowing. Cognate with Portuguese coisa and Spanish cosa.

• IPA^(key): /ˈkowsa/ [ˈkow.s̺ɐ]
• Rhymes: -owsa

cousa f (plural cousas)

1. thing
2. nothing (in negative sentences)

   Diso que me di non sei cousa. ― I know nothing about what you're asking.

3. event
4. swear word; abusive or insulting epithet

   Estaban aló no medio da praza chamándose cousas. ― They were both in the middle of the square calling each other names.

• algunha cousa
• calquera cousa

• causa

• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “cousa”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “cousa”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “cousa”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “cousa”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “cousa”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

cousa

1. inflection of cousir:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

coūsa

1. inflection of coūsus:
   1. nominative/vocative feminine singular
   2. nominative/accusative/vocative neuter plural

coūsā

1. ablative feminine singular of coūsus

cousa f (plural cousas)

1. thing

Inherited from Latin causa (“cause, reason”). Cognate with Old Spanish cosa and Old French chose.

• IPA^(key): /ˈkow.z̺a/

cousa f (plural cousas)

1. thing
   • a. 1284, Alfonso X of Castile, Cantigas de Santa Maria, Códice de Toledo, cantiga 423 (facsimile):

     Eſta primeira é de comel fez ó çeo. ⁊ á terra. ⁊ ó mar ⁊ o ſol. ⁊ á lũa. ⁊ as eſtrelas ⁊ todalas outras couſas q̇ ſon. ⁊ como fez ó ome áſa ſemellança

     This first one is (about) how He made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and everything else that exists. And how (He) made man in His own likeness.

• Fala: coixa, coixha
• Galician: cousa
• Portuguese: coisa, cousa (dated), coysa (obsolete) (see there for further descendants)

• Universo Cantigas - "cousa"
• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “cousa”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “cousa”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese cousa, inherited from Latin causa (“cause, reason”).

• Homophones: cosa, coza, colza (Brazil)
• Rhymes: -owzɐ, -ozɐ
• Hyphenation: cou‧sa

cousa f (plural cousas)

1. dated form of coisa
   • 1595, Luís Vaz de Camões, Rimas, “Transforma-se o amador na cousa amada”:

     Transforma-se o amador na cousa amada

     The lover becomes the thing he loves