English word origin

Etymology of kuya

From Tagalog kuya, from Hokkien 哥仔 (*ko-iá).

1 source sectionBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗

noun

An elder brother. · A respectful title or form of address for an older man.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Tagalog kuya, from Hokkien 哥仔 (*ko-iá).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionkuyatl
Derivation mention哥仔nan-hbl

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "tl",
        "3": "kuya"
      },
      "expansion": "Tagalog kuya"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "nan-hbl",
        "3": "哥仔",
        "tr": "*ko-iá"
      },
      "expansion": "Hokkien 哥仔 (*ko-iá)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "kuya",
      "kuya#Tagalog"
    ],
    [
      "哥仔",
      "哥仔#Hokkien"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "An elder brother.",
        "A respectful title or form of address for an older man."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Philippines"
      ],
      "recordId": "8fb59ec151369b436be19ddef97b6a848ed4cd3d3ac20c708540739f84771669",
      "rawRecordSha256": "504616f26cc12483309d34cf45b5cddcc85894b3b4b9b5c819171d478da630f3",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 179480
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for kuya →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-a3V5YQ