hu

Etymology

Clipping of human, first offered for usage by Mikhail Epstein, professor of cultural theory at Emory University (in 2003)^[1].

Pronunciation

• Homophones: hue, huh

Pronoun

hu (third-person singular, nominative case, reflexive huself) (epicene)

1. (neologism) they (singular). Gender-neutral third-person singular subject pronoun, coordinate with gendered pronouns he and she.
   • 2002 January 3, McMahon, Bryan T., quoting Sasha Newborn, “A terrible book”, in The Ponchatoula Times‎, page 7:

     Hu is fond of enigmas, of conundrums, of hieroglyphics; exhibiting in hus solutions of each and all a degree of acumen which appears to the ordinary apprehension preternatural.

   • 2003 October 14, Epstein, Mikhail, “"Hu," from "human," as a gender-neutral pronoun”, in , Usenet‎, message-ID <f732cdb7.0310141153.6c715df8@posting.google.com>:

     When the lecturer arrives, hu will be speaking on the topic of anonymity.

   • 2007 November 29, Epstein, Mikhail, “hu”, in International Society for Universal Dialog‎:

     It's the vice-president's job to support the president and take hus place when hu is away.

   • 2008 March, Hitz, Christoph, “Hu, Me?”, in Mother Jones‎, ISSN 0362-8841:

     Maybe, but if his/herstory's any guide, hu has hu work cut out for hu.

2. (neologism) them (singular). Gender-neutral third-person singular object pronoun, coordinate with gendered pronouns him and her.
   • 2006, Anderson, Perry; Burgess, Glenn, DeLuna, D. N., editor, The Political Imagination in History: Essays Concerning J.G.A. Pocock‎, Owlworks, →ISBN, page 175:

     One of his favorite metaphors for the historian, drawn from the "Preface" to Hegel's Philosophy of Right, likens hu to the owl of Minerva, whose flight at dusk provided the setting for mature reflection on the day that had passed.

3. (neologism) their (singular). Gender-neutral third-person singular possessive adjective, coordinate with his and her.
   • 2006 October 1, “He said, she said, hu said”, in Los Angeles Times‎:

     Now, however, the editorial writer has a new weapon in hu arsenal.

   • 2006 November 17, Kyff, Rob, “Hu Joins Heesh As Neutral Pronoun”, in Hartford Courant‎:

     If hu doesn't do hu homework, I will fail hu.

See also

• other attested and proposed gender-neutral pronouns

References

Anagrams

• uh

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /hu/

Noun

hu

1. water

References

• transnewguinea.org, citing D. C. Laycock, Languages of the Lumi Subdistrict (West Sepik District), New Guinea (1968), Oceanic Linguistics, 7 (1): 36-66

Pronunciation

• Tone: L^[1]

Verb

hu

1. to see
2. to discern, to descry, to find

References

• “hũ” in Christaller, Johann Gottlieb (1881). A Dictionary of the Asante and Fante Language Called Tshi (Chwee, Tw̌i). Basel.

Alternative forms

• Gheg: hû
  • indef. sg. huni
  • def. pl. hûj

Etymology

From Proto-Albanian *skuna, from *skun-o- (compare Norwegian/Faroese skon (“snout”)), from Proto-Indo-European *skewd-.^[1] More at hedh.

Noun

hu m (indefinite plural hunj, definite singular huri, definite plural hunjtë)

1. wooden post, fencepost
2. stake, picket
3. pole, stilt
4. (colloquial) penis

References

Etymology

From Old Norse hugr.

Interjection

hu

1. An expression of eeriness, horror or a very strong emotion

Noun

hu c (singular definite huen, not used in plural form)

1. inclination, sympathy

Verb

hu

1. imperative of hue

Interjection

hu

1. oh, ooh, oof, wow (indicating surprise or another strong emotion)

Interjection

hu

1. an exclamation of feeling cold

Further reading

• hu in Duden online

Etymology

From English who.

Pronoun

hu

1. (interrogative) who

Preposition

hu (with genitive)

1. Obsolete spelling of wu

Alternative forms

• huwa

Etymology

From Arabic هُوَ‎ (huwa)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /uː/

Pronoun

hu

1. he

Romanization

hu

1. Nonstandard spelling of hū.
2. Nonstandard spelling of hú.
3. Nonstandard spelling of hǔ.
4. Nonstandard spelling of hù.

Determiner

hu

1. Alternative spelling of u

Pronoun

hu

1. Alternative spelling of u; accusative and dative of gi

Pronoun

hu

1. Alternative form of heo

References

• “he, pron. (2)” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 10 June 2018.

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *hwō. Cognate with Old Frisian hū, Old Saxon hū (Dutch hoe), Old High German wuo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /huː/

Adverb

hū

1. how

Conjunction

hū

1. how

Alternative forms

• heu
• hue
• hui
• huy

Etymology

Onomatopoeia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /hy/

Interjection

hu

1. a shouting noise made when pursuing someone or something

Noun

hu m (oblique plural hus, nominative singular hus, nominative plural hu)

1. commotion; racket (noisy situation)

References

• Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (hu)
• hu on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *hwō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /huː/

Adverb

hu

1. how

Conjunction

hu

1. how

Etymology 1

From Old Norse hón.

Etymology 2

Compare Norwegian Nynorsk ho, hoe

Etymology 3

From Old Norse húð, from Proto-Germanic *hūdiz, from Proto-Indo-European *kuHtis.