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Definition of ruki

ruki

/ˈruː.ki/
ru · ki
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ruki Lexical Profile

• noun

1

A historical phonological rule in certain Indo-European languages, notably Indo-Iranian and Balto-Slavic, by which the original sibilant consonant *s shifted to *š when it immediately followed the sounds *r, *u, *k, or *i.

Example

"The effects of the ruki rule are a defining characteristic that groups the Satem languages together in Indo-European linguistics."

Word Nuance & Usage

The term is highly specialized to historical linguistics and is almost exclusively used attributively in phrases like 'ruki rule' or 'ruki sound law'.

• Rhymes for ruki

• Nearby Words

rugosa rose
ruhr
ruiz
ruki
ruki river
ruler
rum

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined by historical linguists from the sequence of Proto-Indo-European phonemes—*r, *u, *k, and *i—that historically triggered the sound shift.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Ruki. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 18, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/ruki
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