কই

Bengali

Alternative forms

• কৈ (kōi)

Pronunciation

• (Rarh) IPA^(key): /koi̯/, [ˈkoi̯]

  Audio:

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• (Dhaka) IPA^(key): /koi̯/, [ˈkoi̯]

Etymology 1

Inherited from Middle Bengali কহি (kohi), from Sanskrit *कधि ~ *कहि (kadhi ~ kahi), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷo-dʰi (“where”). Compare Early Assamese কহিত (kohito),

Adverb

কই • (koi)

1. where

   Synonym: কোথায় (kōthaẏ)

   তুমি কই?

   tumi koi?

   Where are you?

References

• Sen, Sukumar (1971) An Etymological Dictionary of Bengali: c. 1000-1800 A.D.‎^[1], Calcutta: Eastern Publishers, page 125.

Etymology 2

Inherited from Sanskrit कवयी (kavayī), a compound of क (ka, “water”) ‎ वय् (vay, “to go”) ‎ -ई (-ī, nominal suffix), literally meaning "the one who goes through water"; the second element is ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyh₁- (“to chase”).

Noun

কই • (koi)

1. Gangetic koi, Anabas cobojius

Inflection

Animate

Inflection of কই
nominative	কই kôi
objective	কইকে kôike
genitive	কইর kôir
	Indefinite forms
nominative	কই kôi
objective	কইকে kôike
genitive	কইর kôir
	Definite forms
	singular		plural
nominative	কইটা, কইটি kôiṭa (colloquial), kôiṭi (formal)		কইরা kôira
objective	কইটাকে, কইটিকে kôiṭake (colloquial), kôiṭike (formal)		কইদের(কে) kôider(ke)
genitive	কইটার, কইটির kôiṭar (colloquial), kôiṭir (formal)		কইদের kôider
Objective Note: In some dialects -রে (-re) marks this case instead of -কে (-ke).

Inanimate

Inflection of কই
nominative	কই kôi
objective	কই / কইকে kôi (semantically general or indefinite) / kôike (semantically definite)
genitive	কইর kôir
locative	কইতে kôite
	Indefinite forms
nominative	কই kôi
objective	কই / কইকে kôi (semantically general or indefinite) / kôike (semantically definite)
genitive	কইর kôir
locative	কইতে kôite
	Definite forms
	singular		plural
nominative	কইটা , কইটি kôiṭa (colloquial), kôiṭi (formal)		কইগুলা, কইগুলো kôigula (colloquial), kôigulo (formal)
objective	কইটা, কইটি kôiṭa (colloquial), kôiṭi (formal)		কইগুলা, কইগুলো kôigula (colloquial), kôigulo (formal)
genitive	কইটার, কইটির kôiṭar (colloquial), kôiṭir (formal)		কইগুলার, কইগুলোর kôigular (colloquial), kôigulor (formal)
locative	কইটাতে / কইটায়, কইটিতে kôiṭate / kôiṭay (colloquial), kôiṭite (formal)		কইগুলাতে / কইগুলায়, কইগুলোতে kôigulate / kôigulay (colloquial), kôigulote (formal)
Objective Note: In some dialects -রে (-re) marks this case instead of -কে (-ke).