kali

See also: Appendix:Variations of "kali"

Languages (31)

English

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Albanian • Anguthimri • Betawi • Bikol Central • Central Huasteca Nahuatl • Central Nahuatl • Dupaningan Agta • Dutch • Estonian • Finnish • French • Hawaiian • Ilocano • Indonesian • Javanese • Kashubian • Latvian • Malay • Mauritian Creole • Naga Pidgin • Ngiyambaa • Old Javanese • Polish • Romani • Serbo-Croatian • Sundanese • Swahili • Tagalog • Tausug • Vietnamese

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Page categories

English

Etymology 1

From Arabic قِلْي (qily). See alkali.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkæli/, /ˈkeɪli/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

kali (uncountable)

1. The prickly glasswort (Kali turgidum, syn. of Salsola kali).
   • 1765, Temple H. Croker, Thomas Williams, Samuel Clarke, The Complete Dictionary of Arts and Sciences: Volume 2:

     But the kali is principally regarded, on account of its yielding copiously, when burnt, the fixed alkaline salt called soda […]

2. Alkali, particularly soda ash or potash.

Etymology 2

Uncertain; see arnis#Name at Wikipedia for more.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɑːli/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

kali (uncountable)

1. Traditional Philippine stick fighting, a martial art.

   Synonyms: arnis, eskrima

Etymology 3

Uncertain; possibly a reference to the appearance of soda ash produced by burning kali (Etymology 1).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkeɪli/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

kali (uncountable)

1. A type of British crystalline sweet or candy, similar in appearance to sherbet but made with larger sugar crystals.
   • 1928, Kenrayne (pseudonym), “Toffees and Twists”, in The Homestead (South Africa)‎^[1], page 27:

     [M]any women will be glad to know exactly how to start making sweets so that they will be saleable. [...] Lozenges, comfits, kali, bonbons, etc.

   • 2005, Christopher Upton, Living Back-to-back‎^[2], page 152:

     The stock is supplied by Sela Traditional Sweet Co., based in Thynne Street, West Bromwich, which has been making a vast range of boiled sweets—sarsaparilla tablets, kali, clove balls, lime juice bricks, rosy apples and the rest—since 1882.

   • 2012 June 6, Nigel Slater (@NigelSlater), Twitter‎^[3]:

     A positive shower of sherbets. Include fountains, lemons, dibdabs, flying saucers, even jars of Kali.

Anagrams

• Lika, ilka, Kail, kail, kila, laik, Laki, Akil

Albanian

Noun

kali

1. definite nominative singular and indefinite dative/ablative singular of kalë

Anguthimri

Noun

kali

1. (Mpakwithi) hole

References

• Terry Crowley, The Mpakwithi dialect of Anguthimri (1981), page 186

Betawi

Etymology

From Javanese ꦏꦭꦶ (kali), from Old Javanese kali, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kali. Compare to Malay gali ~ kali (“to dug”).

Noun

kali

1. river

Bikol Central

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kali, from Proto-Austronesian *kalih.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaˈli/ [kaˈl̪i]
• Hyphenation: ka‧li

Noun

kalí (Basahan spelling ᜃᜎᜒ)

1. canal; ditch; trench; gutter

   Synonym: saruro

Derived terms

• kali-kali

 

Central Huasteca Nahuatl

Noun

kali

1. building, house.

Central Nahuatl

Noun

kali

1. building, house.

Dupaningan Agta

Noun

kali

1. kind of large bird

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Javanese ꦏꦭꦶ (kali), from Old Javanese kali, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kali.

Noun

kali f (plural kali's)

1. (Indonesia) river
   • 1978, “Ajoen Ajoen”, in Anton Beuving (lyrics), Harry Bannink (music), Weerzien met Indië‎^[4], performed by Wieteke van Dort:

     Ga niet baden daar in de kali / en ga niet trouwen daar in Pesapen / Laat je raden, m’n kleine Ali / wanneer ik jou met raad van dienst wil zijn / (...) / Want een kaaiman zit in de kali / en ook een kaaiman zit in Pesapen / ’t Is je schoonma, m′n kleine Ali / die erop loert dat jij getrouwd zal zijn

     Don't go bathing out there in the river / and don't get married out there in Pesapen / Take good counsel, my little Ali / when I wish to be of service to you with advice / (...) / Because there's a caiman in the river/ and there's also a caiman in Pesapen / It's your mother-in-law, my little Ali / who's lying in wait for you to have gotten married

Estonian

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *kalja. Possibly a pre-Balto-Slavic Indo-European loan, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂al-ew-yo-.

Noun

kali (genitive kalja, partitive kalja)

1. kvass

Declension

Declension of kali (type nali)

	singular	plural
nominative	kali	kaljad
genitive	kalja	kaljade
partitive	kalja	kaljasid / kalju
illative	kaljasse / kalja	kaljadesse / kaljusse
inessive	kaljas	kaljades / kaljus
elative	kaljast	kaljadest / kaljust
allative	kaljale	kaljadele / kaljule
adessive	kaljal	kaljadel / kaljul
ablative	kaljalt	kaljadelt / kaljult
translative	kaljaks	kaljadeks / kaljuks
terminative	kaljani	kaljadeni
essive	kaljana	kaljadena
abessive	kaljata	kaljadeta
comitative	kaljaga	kaljadega

Finnish

Etymology

From German Kali.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɑli/, [ˈkɑ̝li]
• Rhymes: -ɑli
• Hyphenation^(key): ka‧li

Noun

kali

1. potassium
2. potassium oxide

Declension

Inflection of kali (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative		kali	kalit
genitive		kalin	kalien
partitive		kalia	kaleja
illative		kaliin	kaleihin
		singular	plural
nominative		kali	kalit
accusative	nom.	kali	kalit
	gen.	kalin
genitive		kalin	kalien
partitive		kalia	kaleja
inessive		kalissa	kaleissa
elative		kalista	kaleista
illative		kaliin	kaleihin
adessive		kalilla	kaleilla
ablative		kalilta	kaleilta
allative		kalille	kaleille
essive		kalina	kaleina
translative		kaliksi	kaleiksi
abessive		kalitta	kaleitta
instructive		—	kalein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of kali (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative kalini kalini accusative nom. kalini kalini gen. kalini genitive kalini kalieni partitive kaliani kalejani inessive kalissani kaleissani elative kalistani kaleistani illative kaliini kaleihini adessive kalillani kaleillani ablative kaliltani kaleiltani allative kalilleni kaleilleni essive kalinani kaleinani translative kalikseni kaleikseni abessive kalittani kaleittani instructive — — comitative — kaleineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative kalisi kalisi accusative nom. kalisi kalisi gen. kalisi genitive kalisi kaliesi partitive kaliasi kalejasi inessive kalissasi kaleissasi elative kalistasi kaleistasi illative kaliisi kaleihisi adessive kalillasi kaleillasi ablative kaliltasi kaleiltasi allative kalillesi kaleillesi essive kalinasi kaleinasi translative kaliksesi kaleiksesi abessive kalittasi kaleittasi instructive — — comitative — kaleinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative kalimme kalimme accusative nom. kalimme kalimme gen. kalimme genitive kalimme kaliemme partitive kaliamme kalejamme inessive kalissamme kaleissamme elative kalistamme kaleistamme illative kaliimme kaleihimme adessive kalillamme kaleillamme ablative kaliltamme kaleiltamme allative kalillemme kaleillemme essive kalinamme kaleinamme translative kaliksemme kaleiksemme abessive kalittamme kaleittamme instructive — — comitative — kaleinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative kalinne kalinne accusative nom. kalinne kalinne gen. kalinne genitive kalinne kalienne partitive kalianne kalejanne inessive kalissanne kaleissanne elative kalistanne kaleistanne illative kaliinne kaleihinne adessive kalillanne kaleillanne ablative kaliltanne kaleiltanne allative kalillenne kaleillenne essive kalinanne kaleinanne translative kaliksenne kaleiksenne abessive kalittanne kaleittanne instructive — — comitative — kaleinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative kalinsa kalinsa accusative nom. kalinsa kalinsa gen. kalinsa genitive kalinsa kaliensa partitive kaliaan kaliansa kalejaan kalejansa inessive kalissaan kalissansa kaleissaan kaleissansa elative kalistaan kalistansa kaleistaan kaleistansa illative kaliinsa kaleihinsa adessive kalillaan kalillansa kaleillaan kaleillansa ablative kaliltaan kaliltansa kaleiltaan kaleiltansa allative kalilleen kalillensa kaleilleen kaleillensa essive kalinaan kalinansa kaleinaan kaleinansa translative kalikseen kaliksensa kaleikseen kaleiksensa abessive kalittaan kalittansa kaleittaan kaleittansa instructive — — comitative — kaleineen kaleinensa

Derived terms

compounds

• kalilannoite
• kalilipeä
• kalimaasälpä
• kalisaippua
• kalisuola

 

Further reading

• “kali”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[5] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

Anagrams

• laki, lika

French

Noun

kali m (plural kalis)

1. kali (plant)

Further reading

• “kali”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Hawaiian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈka.li/, [ˈkɐ.li]

Noun

kali

1. Niʻihau form of kohe (“vagina”)

Ilocano

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kali, from Proto-Austronesian *kalih.

Verb

kali (used in the form ikali)

1. to dig (to move hard-packed earth out of the way)

Indonesian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ka.li/
• Rhymes: -li, -i
• Hyphenation: ka‧li

Etymology 1

From Malay kali, from Sanskrit काल (kāla, “time”). Doublet of kala.

Noun

kali (plural kali-kali)

1. time (instance or occurrence)

   Aku berbelanja ke pasar tiga kali seminggu.

   I shop at the market three times a week.

Preposition

kali

1. (mathematics) times

   Dua kali tiga sama dengan enam. ― Two times three equals six.

Adverb

kali

1. Clipping of barangkali (“perhaps, maybe, probably”)
2. (Medan, slang) very

   Synonyms: amat, banget, sangat, sungguh

Usage notes

When multiplication is not commutative, dikali may be preferred. Otherwise, kali and dikali are interchangable.

Derived terms

• berkali-kali
• kali-kalian
• memperkalikan
• mengalikan
• pekali
• pengali
• perkalian
• sekali
• sekali-kali
• sekali-sekali
• sekalian

 

• acapkali
• barangkali

 

Etymology 2

From Javanese ꦏꦭꦶ (kali), from Old Javanese kali, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kali. Compare to Malay gali ~ kali (“to dug”).

Noun

kali (plural kali-kali)

1. river

   Synonym: sungai

Derived terms

• kali mati

 

Etymology 3

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

Noun

kali

1. catfish

   Synonym: lele

Etymology 4

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

Noun

kali

1. high official in South Sulawesi

Further reading

• “kali” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Javanese

Romanization

kali

1. Romanization of ꦏꦭꦶ

Kashubian

Chemical element
K
Previous: ? (Ar)
Next: kalcéń (Ca)

Etymology

Borrowed from German Kali.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈka.li/
• Rhymes: -ali
• Syllabification: ka‧li

Noun

kali f

1. potash

Further reading

• Jan Trepczyk (1994) “potas”, in Słownik polsko-kaszubski (in Kashubian), volumes 1–2

Latvian

Verb

kali

1. second-person singular past indicative of kalt

Malay

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kali/
• Rhymes: -ali, -li, -i

Etymology 1

From Proto-Malayic *kali, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kali, from Proto-Austronesian *kalih.

Alternative forms

• gali

Verb

kali (used in the form mengali)

1. Obsolete form of gali.

Synonyms

• korek

Etymology 2

kali

From Javanese ꦏꦭꦶ (kali), from Old Javanese kali.

Noun

kali (Jawi spelling کالي, plural kali-kali, informal 1st possessive kaliku, 2nd possessive kalimu, 3rd possessive kalinya)

1. river (large stream which drains a landmass)

Synonyms

• alir
• alur
• batang
• bengawan
• ci
• sungai
• wai

Etymology 3

From Sanskrit काल (kāla, “time”). Doublet of kala.

Noun

kali

1. times

Verb

kali

1. to times, to multiply

Further reading

• “kali” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.

Mauritian Creole

Etymology

From Tamil கள்ளி (kaḷḷi).

Noun

kali

1. cactus

Naga Pidgin

Etymology

Inherited from Assamese কালি (kali).

Adverb

kali

1. tomorrow

Related terms

• aji

Ngiyambaa

Noun

kali

1. (Waangaybuwan) water
   • 2001, Mood and Modality, →ISBN:

     ɡaliː-ŋinda-ɡila ŋiyanu balu-y-aɡa

     water-CARIT-HYPOTH we+PL+NOM die-CM-IRR

     we'll probably die for lack of water

Alternative forms

• gali (Wayilwan)

Further reading

• Barry Alpher, Proto-Pama-Nyungan etyma, in Claire Bowern, Harold James Koch, Australian Languages: Classification and the Comparative Method (2004, →ISBN

Old Javanese

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kali. Compare to Malay gali ~ kali (“to dig”).

Noun

kali

1. river

   Synonyms: baṅawan, gaṅgā, gĕṅga, kali, kaweri, loh, lwah, nadī, prawāha, saraswat, sarit, sindhu, suṅe, suṅhe, suṅeṅ, suṅhay, suṅi

2. deep watercourse
3. river-bed
4. channel

Descendants

• Javanese: ꦏꦭꦶ (kali)
  • → Betawi: kali
  • → Dutch: kali
  • → Indonesian: kali
  • → Malay: kali
• → Balinese: ᬓᬮᬶ (kali)

Further reading

• "kali" in P.J. Zoetmulder with the collaboration of S.O. Robson, Old Javanese-English Dictionary. 's-Gravenhage: M. Nijhoff, 1982.

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈka.li/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ali
• Syllabification: ka‧li

Verb

kali

1. third-person singular present of kalić

Romani

Adjective

kali

1. feminine singular of kalo

Serbo-Croatian

Verb

kali (Cyrillic spelling кали)

1. inflection of káliti:
   1. third-person singular present
   2. second-person singular imperative

Noun

kali (Cyrillic spelling кали)

1. nominative/vocative plural of kal

Sundanese

Romanization

kali

1. Romanization of ᮊᮜᮤ

Swahili

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya):

  (file)

Etymology 1

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

Adjective

-kali (declinable)

1. sharp
2. fierce
3. acidic
4. harsh, cruel
5. savage
6. intense

Declension

Inflected forms of -kali

Noun class	singular	plural
m-wa class(I/II)	mkali	wakali
m-mi class(III/IV)	mkali	mikali
ji-ma class(V/VI)	kali	makali
ki-vi class(VII/VIII)	kikali	vikali
n class(IX/X)	kali	kali
u class(XI)	mkali	see n(X) or ma(VI) class
pa class(XVI)	pakali
ku class(XVII)	kukali
mu class(XVIII)	mukali

Derived terms

• makali
• ukali

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English kalium.

Noun

kali class IX (plural kali class X)

1. potassium

   Synonym: potasiamu

Tagalog

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /kaˈli/ [kɐˈli], /kaˈliʔ/ [kɐˈliʔ]
• Rhymes: -i, -iʔ
• Syllabification: ka‧li

Noun

kalí or kalî (Baybayin spelling ᜃᜎᜒ) (chiefly in the negative)

1. rest; quietude; repose; quietude

Alternative forms

• kale — colloquial

Derived terms

• di-mapakali
• kumali
• makali
• mapakali

 

See also

• pahinga
• tigil

 

Noun

kalí (Baybayin spelling ᜃᜎᜒ) (medicine, archaic)

1. boneache

Derived terms

• magpangali
• magsisipangali
• mangangali

 

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /kaˈliʔ/ [kɐˈliʔ], (colloquial) /kaˈleʔ/ [kɐˈlɛʔ]
• Rhymes: -iʔ
• Syllabification: ka‧li

Adverb

kalî (Baybayin spelling ᜃᜎᜒ) (Bataan)

1. I wonder (placed after interrogative pronouns)

   Synonym: kaya

Etymology 3

Possibly a clipping of kalis.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈkali/ [ˈkaː.lɪ]
• Rhymes: -ali
• Syllabification: ka‧li

Noun

kali (Baybayin spelling ᜃᜎᜒ)

1. kali (Philippine stick fighting)

   Synonyms: arnis, eskrima

Etymology 4

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kali.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈkali/ [ˈkaː.lɪ]
• Rhymes: -ali
• Syllabification: ka‧li

Noun

kali (Baybayin spelling ᜃᜎᜒ)

1. canal
2. (obsolete) excavation
3. (obsolete) asking for the care of others

Further reading

• “kali”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018

Anagrams

• laki, akli

Tausug

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kali.

Verb

kali (used in the form magkali)

1. to dig

Vietnamese

Chemical element
K
Previous: agon (Ar)
Next: canxi (Ca)

Etymology

Ultimately from New Latin kalium, with the suffix -um removed as with most chemical elements.

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [kaː˧˧ li˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [kaː˧˧ lɪj˧˧]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [kaː˧˧ lɪj˧˧]
• Phonetic spelling: ca li

Noun

kali

1. potassium