unco

See also: uncò

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌŋkəʊ

Etymology 1

From Scots unco, shortening of uncouth.

Adjective

unco (comparative more unco, superlative most unco)

1. (Scotland) Strange, weird.
   • 1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:

     It was noted by them that kenned best that her cantrips were at their worst when the tides in the Sker Bay ebbed between the hours of twelve and one. At this season of the night the tides of mortality run lowest, and when the outgoing of these unco waters fell in with the setting of the current of life, then indeed was the hour for unholy revels.

   • 1932, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Sunset Song (A Scots Quair), Polygon, published 2006, page 18:

     And the second quean was Hope and she was near as unco as Faith, but had right bonny hair, red hair, though maybe you'd call it auburn […] .

Adverb

unco (not comparable)

1. (Scotland, northern UK) Very.
   • 1920, Tod Robbins, “Who Wants a Green Bottle?”, in Freaks And Fantasies, published 2007, page 70:

     ‘Ye should tear up this carpet, Robbie,’ Uncle Peter called back over his shoulder. ‘It's most unco wearisome when a body′s leg-weary.’

   • 1996, Alasdair Gray, “The Story of a Recluse”, in Every Short Story 1951-2012, Canongate, published 2012, page 267:

     Jamie has met only two kids of women: the mainly elderly and unco good who belong to his father's congregation, and those who drink in pubs and shebeens used by nearly penniless medical students.

Etymology 2

Sign in Gold Coast, Australia illustrating use of the word "unco"

From uncoordinated.

Adjective

unco (comparative more unco, superlative most unco)

1. (slang, New Zealand, Australia) Uncoordinated.
   • 2006, Alexis Wright, Carpentaria, page 106:

     ‘Aren′t he the most unco kid you ever come across?’ Norm refused to have Kevin on his boat even if he begged to be taken because he was too clumsy.

Translations

uncoordinated

• Maori: ninipa

Anagrams

• Ucon, coun

Esperanto

Etymology

Borrowed from German Unze, Polish uncja and Russian у́нция (úncija).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈunt͡so]
• Rhymes: -unt͡so
• Hyphenation: un‧co

Noun

unco (accusative singular uncon, plural uncoj, accusative plural uncojn)

1. ounce

Latin

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈun.koː/, [ˈʊŋkoː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈun.ko/, [ˈuŋko]

Verb

uncō (present infinitive uncāre); first conjugation, no passive, no perfect or supine stems

1. (intransitive, of bears) to growl

   Synonym: seviō

Conjugation

No perfect is attested.

   Conjugation of uncō (first conjugation, no supine stem, no perfect stem, active-only)

indicative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	uncō	uncās	uncat	uncāmus	uncātis	uncant
	imperfect	uncābam	uncābās	uncābat	uncābāmus	uncābātis	uncābant
	future	uncābō	uncābis	uncābit	uncābimus	uncābitis	uncābunt
subjunctive		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	uncem	uncēs	uncet	uncēmus	uncētis	uncent
	imperfect	uncārem	uncārēs	uncāret	uncārēmus	uncārētis	uncārent
imperative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	uncā	—	—	uncāte	—
	future	—	uncātō	uncātō	—	uncātōte	uncantō
non-finite forms		active			passive
		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		uncāre	—	—	—	—	—
participles		uncāns	—	—	—	—	—
verbal nouns		gerund				supine
		genitive	dative	accusative	ablative	accusative	ablative
		uncandī	uncandō	uncandum	uncandō	—	—

Etymology 2

Noun

uncō

1. dative/ablative singular of uncus

References

• “unco”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• unco in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• uncare in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)

Scots

Etymology

Shortening of uncouth.

Adjective

unco (comparative mair unco, superlative maist unco)

1. unknown, strange
2. unusual, odd
3. great

Adverb

unco

1. very

Noun

unco

1. Any strange person or thing; an oddity.
2. (in the plural) News.