kel

Clipping of English Kela.

kel

1. (international standards) ISO 639-3 language code for Kela-Yela.

• Wiktionary’s coverage of Kela-Yela terms

Inherited from Arabic أَكَلَ (ʔakala).

kel I (present pkyakol)

1. to eat
2. to wear down

• Borg, Alexander (2004) A Comparative Glossary of Cypriot Maronite Arabic (Arabic–English) (Handbook of Oriental Studies; I.70), Leiden and Boston: Brill, page 142

• IPA^(key): [ˈkɛl]
• Hyphenation: kel
• Rhymes: -ɛl

Inherited from Old Czech kel, from Proto-Slavic *kъlъ.

kel m inan

1. tusk

Related to older klí (“embryo, germ”).

kel m inan or f

1. (obsolete, botany) embryo, germ

   Synonyms: klíček, embryo, klík (obsolete), klíč (rare)

• “kel”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “kel”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “kel”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025
• František Št. Kott (1878) “kel”, in Česko-německý slovník zvláště grammaticko-fraseologický (in Czech), Prague: Josef Kolář, page 684

From German Kehle.

• IPA^(key): /keːl/, [kʰeːˀl]

kel c (singular definite kelen, plural indefinite kele)

1. hollow moulding, cavetto
2. valley

• IPA^(key): [ˈkɛl]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: kel
• Rhymes: -ɛl

From Proto-Ugric *kälä-, possibly derived from Proto-Finno-Ugric *kälä- (“to ford”).^[1] Akin to Northern Mansi ква̄луӈкве (kvāluňkve, “to rise”).

• kél (archaic, except in some phrases like lába kél)

kel

1. (obsolete) come and go, get about (to transport oneself from place to place)^[2]
3. (intransitive) to get up, rise (from sleep; occasionally more broadly from a lying or sitting position)

   Synonyms: felkel, feláll

4. (intransitive, of the sun or moon) to rise

   Synonym: felkel

5. (intransitive, of a seedling) to sprout, shoot, bud, germinate

   Synonyms: sarjad, kibújik

6. (intransitive, of a young bird or insect) to hatch (to be hatched)
7. (intransitive, cooking, of dough) to rise
8. (intransitive, figuratively, in expressions) to start, set off, take off

   Synonyms: kezd, indul, (in expressions) ered

9. (intransitive, figuratively, archaic or poetic) to rise, arise (chiefly of emotions, their outward expressions, or natural forces like wind)

   Synonyms: keletkezik, kezdődik, támad

10. (intransitive, marketing, chiefly after adverbs) to be sought-after, in demand

    Synonyms: kelendő, eladható, kapós, keresett, fogy

11. (intransitive, of a piece of writing) to be dated (only in the past tense)

    Synonyms: íródik, létrejön

(With verbal prefixes):

Borrowed from Bavarian Keel (“Savoy cabbage”), from Latin caulis (“stem, stalk, cabbage”).

kel (plural kelek)

2. Savoy cabbage

   Synonym: kelkáposzta

3. (in phrases and compounds) a type of Brassica (cabbage and similar plants), including kale, cauliflower, napa cabbage, and Brussels sprout

   Hyponyms: fodros kel, kínai kel

• (to get up, to rise): kel in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.
• (Savoy cabbage): kel in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.

From Portuguese aquilo.

kel

1. that

kel f

1. thing
2. heat

• keł (alternative writing)

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *kъlъ.

• IPA^(key): (13^th CE) /ˈkɛɫ/
• IPA^(key): (15^th CE) /ˈkɛl/

kel m inan

1. tusk
2. culm (?)

• Czech: kel

• Jan Gebauer (1903–1916) “kel”, in Slovník staročeský (in Czech), Prague: Česká grafická společnost "unie", Česká akademie císaře Františka Josefa pro vědy, slovesnost a umění

kel

1. contraction of ke le: that it

• IPA^(key): [kel]

Borrowed from Bavarian Keel (“Savoy cabbage”), from Latin caulis (“stem, stalk, cabbage”).

kel m inan (relational adjective kelový)

1. savoy

• do kelu

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *kъlъ.

kel m inan (relational adjective klový)

1. tusk

• “kel”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2025

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

• IPA^(key): /kel/, [cɪ̞l], [t͡ʃe̝l]

kel

1. guy, dude
   • c. 1950, Sophie Redmond, “Datra Papa [A doctor's father]”, in Thea Doelwijt, editor, Kri, kra! Proza van Suriname [Kri, kra! Prose from Suriname]‎^[1], Paramaribo: Bureau Volkslectuur, published 1972, page 115:

     Nana: Misi libi mi nanga tori foe Frits p'pa; efi mi prakseri fa mi lasi na beste ten foe mi libi, nanga na kel.

     Nana: Madam, let me be with the matter of Frits's dad. If I just think about how I waisted the best years of my life with that guy...

   • 1985, Paul Marlee, Proefkonijn‎^[2], Paramaribo: Uitgeverij De Volksboekwinkel, →ISBN, page 99:

     ‘Blub, hik, sorry man, ei Arnie, pe y' ben de yongu, m' e suk' i no moer man; pe a meid Sastro de man, mi lob' a sma, yongu, wan f' den kel go vandoor nang' a sma k'ba natuurlijk. (...)’

     'Glub, hiccup, sorry, man, hey Arnie, where have you been, man, I've been looking all over for you; where's that girl Sastro, man, I love that girl, man, one of the guys already went off with her, obviously. (...)'

• → Dutch: kill

Deverbal from kela

kel n

1. (colloquial) cuddling, petting

• kel in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• kel in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• kel in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

From Ottoman Turkish كل (kel, “bald”), from Persian کل (kal, “bald”). Cognate to kelle (“head”) and ultimately to Latin calvus (“bald”), Old English calu (“bald”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈcæl/

• Audio:

  (file)

kel

1. bald

• dazlak

• kelle
• kellik
• kelleşmek

• → Romanian: chel

• (Uzbekistani standard) IPA^(key): /kɛl/, [k̟ɛl]
• (Khorazm dialect) IPA^(key): /ɡæl/
• Hyphenation: kel

kel

1. second-person singular informal imperative of kelmoq

Borrowed from French lequel (“which”).

kel

1. (relative) who
   • 1932, Arie de Jong, Leerboek der Wereldtaal, page 15:

     Utan, kel lugon, binon lugan.

     A person who lies is a liar.

2. (relative) which
   • 1932, Arie de Jong, Leerboek der Wereldtaal, page 15:

     Buk, keli elegivol obe, binon jönik.

     The book that you have given to me is beautiful.

   • 1938, “Pö yelacen”, in Volapükagased pro Nedänapükans, page 1:

     Volapük eprogedon nog no mödiko, e nog ai go no labülon pladi, kel demü patöfs sublimik okik duton lü on.

     Volapük has not yet made great progress, and is far from occupying the place it deserves due to its its superior qualities.

• Note: This word is declined to match the function it plays in its subordinate clause, not to match the declension of the noun it modifies.

kel (definite form kel gi)

1. Grewia bicolor

kel

1. water

• Cornelis L. Voorhoeve, Languages of Irian Jaya Checklist (1975, Canberra: Pacific Linguistics), page 122

From Proto-Kuki-Chin *keel, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *keel.

• IPA^(key): /kel˧˩/

kèl

1. goat

From Proto-Kuki-Chin *kal, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *g-la. Cognates include Khumi Chin ämäkei and Mizo kal.

• IPA^(key): /kəl˧/

kel

1. kidney

From Proto-Kuki-Chin *kaal.

• IPA^(key): /kəl˧/

kel

1. (transitive) to climb

• Lukram Himmat Singh (2013) A Descriptive Grammar of Zou, Canchipur: Manipur University, pages 40, 46, 81