Ka˚

(pron. interr.) who? m. ko f. kā (nt. kiṃ, q.v.); follows regular decl. of an atheme with some formations fr. ki˚, which base is otherwise restricted to the nt.
■ From ka˚ also nt. pl. kāni (Snp.324, Snp.961) & some adv. forms like kathaṃ, kadā kahaṃ, etc.

1. 1. ka˚; nom. m. ko Snp.173, Snp.765, Snp.1024; Ja.i.279; Dhp.146; f. kā Ja.vi.364; Pv-a.41; gen. sg. kassa Mil.25; instr. kena; abl. kasmā (nt.) as adv. “why Snp.883, Snp.885; Pv-a.4, Pv-a.13, Pv-a.63, etc
   2. ki˚; (m. & f.; nt see kiṃ): gen. sg. kissa Dhp.237; Ja.ii.104. ko-nāmo (of) what name Mil.14; Dhp-a.ii.92, occurs besides kin-nāmo Mil.15
      ■ kvattho what (is the) use Vv.50#10 stands for ko attho
      ■ All cases are freq. emphasized by addition of the affirm. part. nu & su. e.g. ko su’dha tarati oghaṃ (who then or who possibly) Snp.173; kena ssu nivuto loko “by what then is the world obstructed? Snp.1032; kasmā nu saccāni vadanti… Snp.885.

2. In indef. meaning combined with-ci (Sk. cid: see under ca 1 and ci˚): koci, kāci, etc., whoever, some (usually with neg. na koci, etc., equalling “not anybody”), nt kiñci (q.v.); e.g. mā jātu koci lokasmiṃ pāpiccho Iti.85; no yāti koci loke Dhp.179; n’âhaṃ bhatako ‘smi kassaci Snp.25; na hi nassati kassaci kammaṃ “nobody’s trace of action is lost“ Snp.666; kassaci kiñci na (deti (he gives) nothing to anybody Vv-a.322; Pv-a.45

■ In Sandhi the orig. d of cid is restored, e.g. app’ eva nāma kocid eva puriso idh’ agaccheyya, “would that some man or other would come here!” Pv-a.153. Also in correl. with rel. pron. ya (see details under ya˚) yo hi koci gorakkhaṃ upajīvati kassako so na brāhmano (whoever-he) Snp.612. See also kad˚.

Sk. kaḥ, Idg. *qṷo besides *qui (see ki˚ & kiṃ) & *qṷu (see *ku*˚). Cp. Av. ka-; Gr. πῃ, π ̈ως, ποϊος, etc.; Lat. quī; Oir. co-te; Cymr. pa; Goth hvas, Ags. hwā (= E. who), Ohg. hwër