u-

Typographical substitution for μ, in environments where either (1) the correct symbol is not available or (2) it is available but the writer feels no need to make any effort to insert it (such as by looking it up in a character map) because they rely on their target reader (an informed one) finding the meaning obvious in context.

u-

2. (informal, proscribed) alternative form of μ- as an abbreviation of micro-, mikro-, микро- etc.

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. 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-”