'ekatu

Old Tupi

Etymology

From 'e (“to say”) +‎ katu (“good, well”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ʔɛ.kaˈtu]
• Rhymes: -u
• Hyphenation: 'e‧ka‧tu

Verb

'ekatu

1. can (be permitted or enabled to) [with gerund]
   • 16th century, Joseph of Anchieta, “Outra” (chapter XXXI), in [livrinho de variaſ poeziaſ] [Booklet of various poems], page 31v, lines 50–54; republished as Maria de Lourdes de Paula Martins, compiler, Poesias, São Paulo, 1956, page 71:

     Paranagoaçu raçapa / aju derepiapota / ejori orerauçubâ / Tej catu de cuapa / Xeruba Tupinãba.

     [Paranãgûasu rasapa / aîu nde repîá potá / eîori oté raûsuba / T'e'ikatu nde kuapa / Xe ruba Tupinambá.]

     I came, crossing the ocean, wanting to see you. Come to pity us! May my father Tupinambá can meet you!

2. can (to know how to) [with gerund]
3. to have a way with [with esé]
4. to be worthy of [with esé]

References

• Eduardo de Almeida Navarro (2013) “'ikatu / 'ekatu”, in Dicionário de tupi antigo: a língua indígena clássica do Brasil [Dictionary of Old Tupi: The Classical Indigenous Language of Brazil] (overall work in Portuguese), São Paulo: Global, →ISBN, page 181, column 2