KY

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ky"

Translingual

Etymology

Chosen because other options were already in use by other countries.

Symbol

KY

(international standards) ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code for the Cayman Islands.
Synonym: CYM (alpha-3)

English

Proper noun

KY

Abbreviation of Kentucky: a state of the United States.

Anagrams

YK, Yk, Yk., yk

Chinese

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Japanese K(ケー)Y(ワイ) (kēwai).

Alternative forms

ky

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): kēiwài

(Zhuyin): ㄎㄟㄨㄞˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): kei¹ waai¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: KY
  - Zhuyin: ㄎㄟㄨㄞˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: keiwài
  - Wade–Giles: kʻei¹-wai⁴
  - Yale: kēi-wài
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: keiway
  - Palladius: кэйвай (kɛjvaj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰeɪ̯⁵⁵ waɪ̯⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: kei¹ waai¹
  - Yale: kēi wāai
  - Cantonese Pinyin: kei¹ waai¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: kéi¹ wai¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰei̯⁵⁵ waːi̯⁵⁵/

Verb

KY

(neologism, Internet slang) to be unable to read the room

Related terms

讀空氣／读空气 (dú kōngqì)

Adjective

KY

(neologism, Internet slang) unable to read the room; not reading the room

Related terms

讀空氣／读空气 (dú kōngqì)

Etymology 2

Genericized trademark of K-Y Jelly.

Pronunciation

Cantonese (Jyutping): kei¹ waai¹

Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: kei¹ waai¹
  - Yale: kēi wāai
  - Cantonese Pinyin: kei¹ waai¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: kéi¹ wai¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰei̯⁵⁵ waːi̯⁵⁵/

Noun

KY

(Hong Kong Cantonese) personal lubricant

Indonesian

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈkaje/

Noun

KY (plural KY-KY)

(government) initialism of komisi yudisial (“judicial commission”)

Japanese

Etymology

From the first two letters of 空(くう)気(き)がよめない（人(ひと)） (kūki ga yomenai (hito), “(someone who) can't read the room”) or 空(くう)気(き)を読(よ)め (kūki o yome, “Read the room!”) in rōmaji. The adjective derives from the noun.

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) けーわい [kèéwáꜜì] (Nakadaka – [3])^[1]
(Tokyo) けーわい [kèéwáí] (Heiban – [0])
IPA^(key): [ke̞ːβ̞a̠i]

Adjective

KY(ケーワイ) • (kēwai) -na (adnominal KY(ケーワイ)な (kēwai na), adverbial KY(ケーワイ)に (kēwai ni))

(slang) not able to read the room, unable to pick up on social cues or the situation, lacking social awareness or situational awareness

Inflection

Inflection of KY (KY)
Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	KYだろ	ケーワイだろ	kēwai daro
Continuative (連用形)	KYで	ケーワイで	kēwai de
Terminal (終止形)	KYだ	ケーワイだ	kēwai da
Attributive (連体形)	KYな	ケーワイな	kēwai na
Hypothetical (仮定形)	KYなら	ケーワイなら	kēwai nara
Imperative (命令形)	KYであれ	ケーワイであれ	kēwai de are
Key constructions
Informal negative	KYではない KYじゃない	ケーワイではないケーワイじゃない	kēwai de wa nai kēwai ja nai
Informal past	KYだった	ケーワイだった	kēwai datta
Informal negative past	KYではなかった KYじゃなかった	ケーワイではなかったケーワイじゃなかった	kēwai de wa nakatta kēwai ja nakatta
Formal	KYです	ケーワイです	kēwai desu
Formal negative	KYではありません KYじゃありません	ケーワイではありませんケーワイじゃありません	kēwai de wa arimasen kēwai ja arimasen
Formal past	KYでした	ケーワイでした	kēwai deshita
Formal negative past	KYではありませんでした KYじゃありませんでした	ケーワイではありませんでしたケーワイじゃありませんでした	kēwai de wa arimasen deshita kēwai ja arimasen deshita
Conjunctive	KYで	ケーワイで	kēwai de
Conditional	KYなら（ば）	ケーワイなら（ば）	kēwai nara (ba)
Provisional	KYだったら	ケーワイだったら	kēwai dattara
Volitional	KYだろう	ケーワイだろう	kēwai darō
Adverbial	KYに	ケーワイに	kēwai ni
Degree	KYさ	ケーワイさ	kēwaisa

Noun

KY(ケーワイ) • (kēwai)

(slang) someone who is unable to read the room

Derived terms

K(ケー)Y(ワイ)語(ご) (kēwaigo)

References

^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (1995), 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN

[DJS-1] Matsumura, Akira, editor (1995), 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN

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