cổ

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ko˧˩]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [kow˧˨]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [kow˨˩˦]

• Audio (Hồ Chí Minh City)

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From Proto-Vietic *koh (“throat; neck”), from Proto-Mon-Khmer *kɔʔ ~ *kɔ(ɔ)k (“neck”). Cognates include Tho [Cuối Chăm] kɔː⁵, Khmer ក (kɑɑ), Bahnar hơko, Mon ကံ. Compare Proto-Tai *ɣo:ᴬ.

cổ • (古, 𦙶, 股)

1. neck

   cổ tay ― a wrist

   cổ chân ― an ankle

   cổ chai ― a bottleneck

Sino-Vietnamese word from 古. Doublet of cũ.

cổ

1. ancient; "old"; compare cũ (“old, but not ancient”)

   Ai Cập cổ ― Ancient Egypt

2. antique; "old"; compare cũ (“old, but not ancient”)

   đồ cổ ― antiques

• cũ

Contraction of cô + the demonstrative ấy (“that”) in the southern dialects, with the latter manifested as the hỏi tone after monosyllabification.

cổ

1. (Southern Vietnam) she/her, that young adult woman