# ո

| ո | U+0578, &#1400; ARMENIAN SMALL LETTER VO |
| ← շ [U+0577] | Armenian | չ → [U+0579] |

## Armenian
### Pronunciation

(word-initially:)
* (Eastern Armenian) IPA: /vo/, [vo]
* (Western Armenian) IPA: /vo/, [vo]
(otherwise:)
* (Eastern Armenian) IPA: /o/, [o]
* (Western Armenian) IPA: /o/, [o]
* Audio (word-initially):(file)

### Letter

ո lowercase (uppercase Ո)
* The 24th letter of Armenian alphabet, called ո (o). Transliterated as o. Represents а close-mid back rounded vowel: [o] (but [vo] word-initially).
* A letter used in Armenian dialectology. Represents the diphthong [u͡o]. Transliterated as uo.

#### Usage notes

The word-initial pronunciation of this letter as [vɔ] is a post-classical development. In modern Armenian, the older pronunciation is preserved only in the word ով (ov) and its derivatives, and also in the traditional orthography spelling of օվկիանոս (ōvkianos).

### See also

* (The Armenian script): Աա Բբ Գգ Դդ Եե Զզ Էէ Ըը Թթ Ժժ Իի Լլ Խխ Ծծ Կկ Հհ Ձձ Ղղ Ճճ Մմ Յյ Նն Շշ Ոո Չչ Պպ Ջջ Ռռ Սս Վվ Տտ Րր Ցց Ււ Փփ Քք Օօ Ֆֆ
* (Letter combinations): ու և ﬔ ﬕ ﬓ ﬗ ﬖ
* (Dialectological): ՠ / ա̈ ա̊ ա̄ ը̂ է̀ էօ / օ̈ էօ̀ / օ̈̀ իւ / ո̈ւ գ$^յ$ կ$^յ$ ք$^յ$ հ$^յ$ բՙ դՙ գՙ ձՙ ջՙ ղՙ ֈ ʔ
* (Punctuation):  ՙ  ՚ ՛ ՜ ՝ ՞ ՟ ․ ։ ֊
* (Symbols): ֏ ֎ ֍

### References

* Dum-Tragut, Jasmine (2009) Armenian: Modern Eastern Armenian (London Oriental and African Language Library; 14), Amsterdam, Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company, § 1.1.2
* Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1911) Hay barbaṙagitutʻiwn. Uruagic ew dasaworutʻiwn hay barbaṙneri (barbaṙagitakan kʻartēsov) [Armenian dialectology: A sketch and classification of Armenian dialects (with a dialect map)] (Ēminean azgagrakan žoġovacu; 8) (in Armenian), Moscow and Nor Nakhichevan: Lazarev Institute of Oriental Languages, page 10
* Ovsepjan, L. S., Gevorkjan, G. G. (2013) “Армянские диалекты (общий обзор) [Armenian dialects (general overview)]”, in Yuri B.Koryakov and Andrej A. Kibrik, editors, Языки мира: Реликтовые индоевропейские языки Передней и Центральной Азии [Languages of the World: Relict Indo-European languages of Western and Central Asia]‎ (in Russian), Moscow: Academia, page 324

## Old Armenian
### Alternative forms

* ով (ov) — before vowels

### Etymology

Traditionally derived from Proto-Indo-European *kʷos, but Martirosyan prefers derivation from *yós.

### Pronoun

ո՞ • (o$^?$)
* (interrogative) who?
    ո՞, ո՞ ոք ― o$^?$, o$^?$ okʻ ― who?
    ո՞ ի ձէնջ իշխեսցէ առնել զայդ ― o$^?$ i jēnǰ išxescʻē aṙnel zayd ― who among you dare do that?
    ո՞ ոք ի մարդկանէ ― o$^?$ okʻ i mardkanē ― who is he that ...?
    գիտեմ ո՛ է դա ― gitem ó ē da ― I know who he is
    ո՛ ոք եւ իցէ ― ó okʻ ew icʻē ― whoever he may be
    ո՞յր է մատեանս ― o$^?$yr ē mateans ― whose book is this?
    զո՞ խնդրէք ― zo$^?$ xndrēkʻ ― whom do you seek?
    ո՞յր ես ― o$^?$yr es ― who are you for?
    ո՞ւմ ասացեր ― u$^?$m asacʻer ― to whom have you spoken?
    ո՞ գիտէ ― o$^?$ gitē ― who knows?
    ո՞յք ոմանք իցեն ― o$^?$ykʻ omankʻ icʻen ― who are they who ...?
    ո՞ւմ ի կապելոց ― u$^?$m i kapelocʻ ― to which of the prisoners?
    յո՞ւմ անձին ― yu$^?$m anjin ― on which person?
    ո՞յք եմք ― o$^?$ykʻ emkʻ ― who are we?
    ո եւ պէտ ― o ew pēt ― whoever it may be
    յոյր սակս/սակի ― yoyr saks/saki ― why? on what account? for what reason?
    ում եւ պետ ― um ew pet ― whatever, whatsoever

#### Declension

* this pronoun has no instrumental forms; they are filled by instrumentals of որ (or)

#### Derived terms

* յո (yo)
* ումպետ (umpet)

#### Related terms

* ոմն (omn)
* որ (or)
* ոք (okʻ)

#### Descendants

* Armenian: ով (ov)

### References

* Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1971–1979) “ո”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press
* Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836–1837) “ո”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
* Martirosyan, Hrach (2010) Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 8), Leiden and Boston: Brill, page 523
* Petrosean, Matatʻeay (1879) “ո”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy

## Ottoman Turkish
### Letter

ո • (vo or o)
* A letter of the Armeno-Turkish script, named վօ (vo). Represents mid back rounded vowel: [v]. Transliterated according to its Armenian pronunciation.

#### Usage notes

This letter is only used in Armenian loans and in the formation of the digraph ու (u).

### See also

* (The Armeno-Turkish script): Աա Գգ Եե Զզ Էէ Ըը Թթ Ժժ Իի Լլ Խխ Կկ Հհ Ղղ Ճճ Մմ Յյ Նն Շշ Չչ Պպ Սս Վվ Տտ Րր Փփ Քք Օօ Ֆֆ ’
* (Primarily in Armenian words): Բբ Դդ Ծծ Ձձ Ջջ Ոո Ռռ Ցց Ււ
* (Letter combinations): էօ իւ ու նկ նղ
* (Punctuation): ՛ ՜ ՝ ՞ ․ ։ ֊