كي

See also: کی, گی, and گے

Arabic

Etymology 1

From Proto-Semitic *kiyā, a deictic particle, related to *ka.

Conjunction

كَيْ • (kay)

1. in order that (followed by the subjunctive)

   عَلَيْكَ أَنْ تَدْرُسَ كَيْ تَنْجَحَ.

   ʕalayka ʔan tadrusa kay tanjaḥa.

   You have to study to be successful

Synonyms

• لِكَيْ (li-kay)
• لِ (li)

Preposition

كَيْ • (kay)

1. (rare) because of, for

   كَيْمَ؟ ― kayma? ― Why?

Etymology 2

Noun

كَيّ • (kayy) m

1. verbal noun of كَوَى (kawā, “to sear; to iron; to sting”) (form I)
   • c. 1200, يحيى بن محمد بن أحمد بن العوام, edited by José Antonio Banqueri, كتاب الفلاحة, volume 2, Madrid: Imprenta Real, published 1802^IA, Cap. 33, page 601:

     يؤخذ طرخشقون مجفف وعدس ونورة أجزاء سواء ويسحق الجميع وينخل ويعجن بسمن بقري عتيق ثم يوضع منه على فتيلة ويدخل في الناصور نافع وربما نفع وربما نفع منه الكي بالنار.

     One takes dried dandelion and lentils and lime at equal parts and grinds all and sieves and kneads with old cow butter and then one applies from it unto a wick and enters the fistula. It may be successful, however cauterization might prove more effective.

   • 2018, وَجْدِيّ الْأَهْدَل, أرض المؤامرات السعيدة, Bayrūt: Nawfal / Hachette Antoine, →ISBN, page 182:

     خظر ببالي أن أشكرها على غسلها وكيّها لملابسي،

     It came to my mind that I thank her for washing and ironing my clothes.

Declension

Declension of noun كَيّ (kayy)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	كَيّ kayy	الْكَيّ al-kayy	كَيّ kayy
Nominative	كَيٌّ kayyun	الْكَيُّ al-kayyu	كَيُّ kayyu
Accusative	كَيًّا kayyan	الْكَيَّ al-kayya	كَيَّ kayya
Genitive	كَيٍّ kayyin	الْكَيِّ al-kayyi	كَيِّ kayyi

Etymology 3

Ultimately Chinese 氣／气 (qì).

Noun

كِي • (kī) f

1. (usually defined) qi energy

Etymology 4

Compare Hebrew כִ֗י (kī) in Job 39:27, occurring together with נֶשֶׁר (néšer, “eagle; vulture”) and there sometimes, albeit dubiously, given the meaning “vulture”. אִם־עַל־פִּ֭יךָ יַגְבִּ֣יהַּ נָ֑שֶׁר וְ֝כִ֗י יָרִ֥ים קִנֹּֽו: “Is it upon your behest that the eagle and the vulture soars and makes his nest high?” Otherwise it is the well-known emphasizing particle כִּי (kī): “Is it upon your behest that the eagle soars, and yea, makes his nest high?”. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Noun

كُي • (kuy) m

1. (obsolete) ibis or pelican

Declension

Declension of noun كُي (kuy)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	كُي kuy	الْكُي al-kuy	كُي kuy
Nominative	كُيٌ kuyun	الْكُيُ al-kuyu	كُيُ kuyu
Accusative	كُيًا kuyan	الْكُيَ al-kuya	كُيَ kuya
Genitive	كُيٍ kuyin	الْكُيِ al-kuyi	كُيِ kuyi

North Levantine Arabic

Suffix

ـكي • (-ki) f

1. Alternative spelling of ـكِ

South Levantine Arabic

Suffix

ـكي • (-ki) f

1. Alternative spelling of ـكِ