ker
/kʰɜɾ/masculine
The Kurdish word for donkey is ker. Wiktionary also lists کەر (ker).
Meaning: a domestic animal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Kurdish | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ker | /kʰɜɾ/ | masculine | |
| کەر | ker | /kaɾ/ |
The word refers to the domestic animal.
How does it change in a sentence?
The term is masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
/kʰɜɾ/
Did you know?
- Despite the word being the standard name for the animal, calling a person a ker is a common, stinging insult in Kurdish culture.
- In certain Kurdish proverbs, the کەر is used as a symbol of patience and endurance under heavy burdens.
- The Kurdish word کەر descends from the Proto-Indo-Iranian root *kʰáras, making it a distant relative of words for similar animals in other ancient Indo-European languages.
Examples in context
- هەرگیز ئاو مەدە بە کەر، ئەگەر تینوو نەبێت.Never give water to a donkey, if he is not thirsty.This sentence demonstrates using کەر in a cautionary context regarding giving water to the animal.Tatoeba #10509845 by Sarchia, translation #9841148 by AmarMecheri
- کەر زەڕی.The donkey brayed.This sentence uses کەر to describe the sound the animal makes.Tatoeba #10560023 by Sarchia, translation #7043511 by Eccles17
- کەرم نییە.I don't have a donkey.This sentence shows the use of کەر when expressing possession.Tatoeba #10560029 by Sarchia, translation #7113852 by CM
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “donkey” translations and entries ker, کەر, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ker, کەر, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
