Wiktionary

nun

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See also: Nun, nún, nùn, ñun, Nun., and ن

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English nonne, nunne, from Old English nunne (“nun”), from Late Latin nonna (“nun, tutor”), originally (along with masculine form nonnus (“man”)) a term of address for elderly persons, perhaps from children's speech, reminiscent of nana, like papa etc. Doublet of nonna.

Pronunciation

Noun

nun (plural nuns)

  1. A member of a Christian religious community of women who live by certain vows and usually wear a habit, (Roman Catholicism, specifically) those living together in a cloister.
    Synonyms: sister, moniale, sistren, cloistress
    Antonyms: brother, friar, monk, frater
    • 1988, Tsitsi Dangarembga, Nervous Conditions, Faber & Faber Limited (2021), page 258:
      Thus, when the nuns came to the mission and we saw that instead of murmuring soft blessings and gliding seraphically over the grass in diaphanous habits, they wore smart blouses and skirts and walked, laughed and talked in low twanging tones very much like our own American missionaries did, we were very disappointed.
  2. (by extension) A member of a similar female community in other confessions.
    a Buddhist nun
  3. (archaic, British, slang) A prostitute.[1]
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:prostitute
    • 1770, Samuel Foote, The Lame Lover, a Comedy in Three Acts. […], London: […] Paul Vaillant; and sold by P[eter] Elmsly […]; and Robinson and Roberts, […], →OCLC, Act I, page 12:
      Why laſt night, as Colonel Kill'em, Sir William Weezy, Lord Frederick Foretop, and I were careleſsly ſliding the Ranelagh round, picking our teeth, after a damn'd muzzy dinner at Boodle's, who ſhould trip by but an abbeſs, well known about town, with a ſmart little nun in her ſuite.
    • 1881, Pierce Egan, chapter 8, in Life in London‎[1], page 205:
      "I mean to inform you," answered the Oxonian, with a grin on his face, "that those three nymphs, who have so much dazzled your optics, are three nuns, and the plump female is Mother .... of great notoriety [...]"
  4. A kind of pigeon with the feathers on its head like the hood of a nun.
Usage notes

In Roman Catholicism, a distinction is often drawn (especially by members of female religious orders) between nuns and sisters, the former being cloistered and devoted primarily to prayer, the latter being more active, doing work such as operating hospitals, caring for the poor, or teaching.

Hyponyms
Derived terms
Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Further reading

Etymology 2

Borrowed from the letter’s name in the respective language. Doublet of nu.

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Noun

nun (plural nuns)

  1. The fourteenth letter of many Semitic alphabets/abjads (Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic and others).
Translations

See also

Further reading

Etymology 3

Pronoun

nun

  1. Pronunciation spelling of nothing.

References

  1. ^ John S[tephen] Farmer; W[illiam] E[rnest] Henley, compilers (1902) “nun”, in Slang and Its Analogues Past and Present. […], volume V, [London: […] Harrison and Sons] […], →OCLC, page 76.

Asturian

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Latin nōn.

Adverb

nun

  1. not, no (used to make negatives)

Etymology 2

Contraction

nun

  1. in a/an (contraction of en + un)

Azerbaijani

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic نُون (nūn).

Noun

nun (definite accusative nunu, plural nunlar)

  1. the Arabic letter ن

Declension

    Declension of nun
singular plural
nominative nun
 nunlar
definite accusative nunu
 nunları
dative nuna
 nunlara
locative nunda
 nunlarda
ablative nundan
 nunlardan
definite genitive nunun
 nunların
    Possessive forms of nun
nominative
singular plural
mənim (“my”) nunum nunlarım
sənin (“your”) nunun nunların
onun (“his/her/its”) nunu nunları
bizim (“our”) nunumuz nunlarımız
sizin (“your”) nununuz nunlarınız
onların (“their”) nunu or nunları nunları
accusative
singular plural
mənim (“my”) nunumu nunlarımı
sənin (“your”) nununu nunlarını
onun (“his/her/its”) nununu nunlarını
bizim (“our”) nunumuzu nunlarımızı
sizin (“your”) nununuzu nunlarınızı
onların (“their”) nununu or nunlarını nunlarını
dative
singular plural
mənim (“my”) nunuma nunlarıma
sənin (“your”) nununa nunlarına
onun (“his/her/its”) nununa nunlarına
bizim (“our”) nunumuza nunlarımıza
sizin (“your”) nununuza nunlarınıza
onların (“their”) nununa or nunlarına nunlarına
locative
singular plural
mənim (“my”) nunumda nunlarımda
sənin (“your”) nununda nunlarında
onun (“his/her/its”) nununda nunlarında
bizim (“our”) nunumuzda nunlarımızda
sizin (“your”) nununuzda nunlarınızda
onların (“their”) nununda or nunlarında nunlarında
ablative
singular plural
mənim (“my”) nunumdan nunlarımdan
sənin (“your”) nunundan nunlarından
onun (“his/her/its”) nunundan nunlarından
bizim (“our”) nunumuzdan nunlarımızdan
sizin (“your”) nununuzdan nunlarınızdan
onların (“their”) nunundan or nunlarından nunlarından
genitive
singular plural
mənim (“my”) nunumun nunlarımın
sənin (“your”) nununun nunlarının
onun (“his/her/its”) nununun nunlarının
bizim (“our”) nunumuzun nunlarımızın
sizin (“your”) nununuzun nunlarınızın
onların (“their”) nununun or nunlarının nunlarının

Further reading

  • “nun” in Obastan.com.

Bambara

Noun

nún

  1. (anatomy) nose

References

Chiricahua

Alternative forms

  • non (in older Americanist literature)

Etymology

Cognates: Navajo nooʼ, Western Apache non, noi, Plains Apache nǫǫ.

Pronunciation

Noun

nun

  1. grave, burial place
  2. cache

Chuj

Noun

nun

  1. parent

Esperanto

Etymology

Borrowed from German nun.

Pronunciation

Adverb

nun

  1. now

Derived terms

Fala

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese non, from Latin nōn (“not”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈnun/
  • Rhymes: -un
  • Syllabification: nun

Adverb

nun

  1. Alternative form of non (“no, not”)

References

  • Valeš, Miroslav (2021) Diccionariu de A Fala: lagarteiru, mañegu, valverdeñu (web)‎[2], 2nd edition, Minde, Portugal: CIDLeS, published 2022, →ISBN

Finnish

Etymology

From Phoenician [Term?].

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈnun/, [ˈnun]
  • Rhymes: -un
  • Syllabification(key): nun

Noun

nun

  1. nun (fourteenth letter of the Hebrew and Phoenician scripts and the Northwest Semitic abjad)

Declension

Inflection of nun (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative nun nunit
genitive nunin nunien
partitive nunia nuneja
illative nuniin nuneihin
singular plural
nominative nun nunit
accusative nom. nun nunit
gen. nunin
genitive nunin nunien
partitive nunia nuneja
inessive nunissa nuneissa
elative nunista nuneista
illative nuniin nuneihin
adessive nunilla nuneilla
ablative nunilta nuneilta
allative nunille nuneille
essive nunina nuneina
translative nuniksi nuneiksi
abessive nunitta nuneitta
instructive — nunein
comitative See the possessive forms below.
Possessive forms of nun (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
first-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative nunini nunini
accusative nom. nunini nunini
gen. nunini
genitive nunini nunieni
partitive nuniani nunejani
inessive nunissani nuneissani
elative nunistani nuneistani
illative nuniini nuneihini
adessive nunillani nuneillani
ablative nuniltani nuneiltani
allative nunilleni nuneilleni
essive nuninani nuneinani
translative nunikseni nuneikseni
abessive nunittani nuneittani
instructive — —
comitative — nuneineni
second-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative nunisi nunisi
accusative nom. nunisi nunisi
gen. nunisi
genitive nunisi nuniesi
partitive nuniasi nunejasi
inessive nunissasi nuneissasi
elative nunistasi nuneistasi
illative nuniisi nuneihisi
adessive nunillasi nuneillasi
ablative nuniltasi nuneiltasi
allative nunillesi nuneillesi
essive nuninasi nuneinasi
translative nuniksesi nuneiksesi
abessive nunittasi nuneittasi
instructive — —
comitative — nuneinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative nunimme nunimme
accusative nom. nunimme nunimme
gen. nunimme
genitive nunimme nuniemme
partitive nuniamme nunejamme
inessive nunissamme nuneissamme
elative nunistamme nuneistamme
illative nuniimme nuneihimme
adessive nunillamme nuneillamme
ablative nuniltamme nuneiltamme
allative nunillemme nuneillemme
essive nuninamme nuneinamme
translative nuniksemme nuneiksemme
abessive nunittamme nuneittamme
instructive — —
comitative — nuneinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative nuninne nuninne
accusative nom. nuninne nuninne
gen. nuninne
genitive nuninne nunienne
partitive nunianne nunejanne
inessive nunissanne nuneissanne
elative nunistanne nuneistanne
illative nuniinne nuneihinne
adessive nunillanne nuneillanne
ablative nuniltanne nuneiltanne
allative nunillenne nuneillenne
essive nuninanne nuneinanne
translative nuniksenne nuneiksenne
abessive nunittanne nuneittanne
instructive — —
comitative — nuneinenne
third-person possessor
singular plural
nominative nuninsa nuninsa
accusative nom. nuninsa nuninsa
gen. nuninsa
genitive nuninsa nuniensa
partitive nuniaan
nuniansa 		nunejaan
nunejansa
inessive nunissaan
nunissansa 		nuneissaan
nuneissansa
elative nunistaan
nunistansa 		nuneistaan
nuneistansa
illative nuniinsa nuneihinsa
adessive nunillaan
nunillansa 		nuneillaan
nuneillansa
ablative nuniltaan
nuniltansa 		nuneiltaan
nuneiltansa
allative nunilleen
nunillensa 		nuneilleen
nuneillensa
essive nuninaan
nuninansa 		nuneinaan
nuneinansa
translative nunikseen
nuniksensa 		nuneikseen
nuneiksensa
abessive nunittaan
nunittansa 		nuneittaan
nuneittansa
instructive — —
comitative — nuneineen
nuneinensa

Galician

Etymology

From contraction of preposition en (“in”) + masculine article un (“a, one”).

Pronunciation

Contraction

nun m (feminine nunha, masculine plural nuns, feminine plural nunhas)

  1. in a, in one

German

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Middle High German nu, nū, nuo with a secondary final -n, already occasionally in Middle High German nuon, from Old High German nu, from Proto-West Germanic *nū.

Alternative forms

  • nu (colloquial; otherwise archaic)

Adverb

nun

  1. now, at this moment
  2. now, then; expressing a logical or temporal consequence
    Wir haben abgewaschen, nun müssen wir noch abtrocknen.
    We've washed up, now we must dry [the dishes].
    Was bedeuten nun die geschilderten Entwicklungen für unser Land?
    Now what do the aforementioned developments mean for our country?
  3. unstressed and expletive, used for minor emphasis
    Was soll das nun heißen?
    What's that supposed to mean now?
Usage notes
  • Although the adverb is similar and akin to English “now”, German nun is not commonly used in a strictly temporal sense, meaning “at this moment”. For that, see jetzt.

Interjection

nun

  1. now, well, so
    Nun, das ist eine schwierige Frage.
    Well, that's a tough question.

Etymology 2

Clipping of nun daß or nun da.

Conjunction

nun

  1. (literary or dated colloquial) now that, given that it has occurred that the circumstances do not withstand that …

Hausa

Etymology

From Arabic نُون (nūn).

Pronunciation

Noun

nun f

  1. nun (letter of the Arabic alphabet)

Ido

Etymology

Borrowed from Esperanto nun, German nun. Originally replaced with nunk, it was eventually taken back.

Pronunciation

Adverb

nun

  1. now, at present, at this time
    Synonym: nunk (archaic)

Derived terms

  • nun kande (“now when, now that”)
  • nuna evento (“a present, current event”)
  • nuna stando (“the existing condition, status quo”)
  • nuna (“present, actual, current, now occurring”)
  • nuntempa (“present day, time”)
  • nuntempe (“at the present time”)

Italian

Etymology

From Hebrew נו״ן (nun).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈnun/
  • Rhymes: -un
  • Hyphenation: nùn

Noun

nun f (invariable)

  1. nun, specifically:
    1. the name of the Phoenician-script letter 𐤍
    2. the name of the Hebrew-script letter נ/ן
    3. the name of the Arabic-script letter ن

Jebero

Noun

nun

  1. canoe

Lombard

Etymology

Akin to Italian noi, from Latin nos.

Pronoun

nun

  1. we

Mandarin

Romanization

nun

  1. Nonstandard spelling of nún.
  2. Nonstandard spelling of nùn.

Usage notes

  • Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

Mirandese

Adverb

nun

  1. not

Old French

Etymology 1

See nom.

Noun

nun oblique singular, m (oblique plural nuns, nominative singular nuns, nominative plural nun)

  1. (Anglo-Norman) Alternative form of nom

Etymology 2

Reduced form of negun.

Adjective

nun m (oblique and nominative feminine singular nune)

  1. Alternative form of negun

Pronoun

nun

  1. Alternative form of negun

Rohingya

Alternative forms

Etymology

Compare Bengali নুন (nun).

Pronunciation

Noun

nun

  1. salt

Synonyms

Romanian

Etymology

Inherited from Late Latin nonnus.

Noun

nun m (plural nuni, feminine equivalent nună)

  1. the godfather at a wedding

Declension

Declension of nun
singular plural
indefinite articulation definite articulation indefinite articulation definite articulation
nominative/accusative (un) nun nunul (niște) nuni nunii
genitive/dative (unui) nun nunului (unor) nuni nunilor
vocative nunule nunilor

Derived terms

See also

Sicilian

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Latin nōn.

Pronunciation

Adverb

nun

  1. not

Talysh

Etymology

Cognate with Persian نان (nân).

Noun

nun

  1. bread

Tat

Etymology

Akin to Persian نان (nân, “bread”), see there for more.

Noun

nun

  1. bread

Turkish

Etymology

From Arabic نُون (nūn).

Noun

nun

  1. Letter of the Arabic alphabet: ن
    • Previous: م
    • Next: و

Uzbek

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic نُون (nūn).

Noun

nun (plural nunlar)

  1. the Arabic letter ن

Declension

Declension of nun
singular plural
nominative nun nunlar
genitive nunning nunlarning
dative nunga nunlarga
definite accusative nunni nunlarni
locative nunda nunlarda
ablative nundan nunlardan
similative nundek nunlardek
Possessive forms of nun
my singular plural
nominative nunim nunlarim
genitive nunimning nunlarimning
dative nunimga nunlarimga
definite accusative nunimni nunlarimni
locative nunimda nunlarimda
ablative nunimdan nunlarimdan
similative nunimdek nunlarimdek
your singular plural
nominative nuning nunlaring
genitive nuningning nunlaringning
dative nuningga nunlaringga
definite accusative nuningni nunlaringni
locative nuningda nunlaringda
ablative nuningdan nunlaringdan
similative nuningdek nunlaringdek
her/his/its singular plural
nominative nuni nunlari
genitive nunining nunlarining
dative nuniga nunlariga
definite accusative nunini nunlarini
locative nunida nunlarida
ablative nunidan nunlaridan
similative nunidek nunlaridek
our singular plural
nominative nunimiz nunlarimiz
genitive nunimizning nunlarimizning
dative nunimizga nunlarimizga
definite accusative nunimizni nunlarimizni
locative nunimizda nunlarimizda
ablative nunimizdan nunlarimizdan
similative nunimizdek nunlarimizdek
your singular plural
nominative nuningiz nunlaringiz
genitive nuningizning nunlaringizning
dative nuningizga nunlaringizga
definite accusative nuningizni nunlaringizni
locative nuningizda nunlaringizda
ablative nuningizdan nunlaringizdan
similative nuningizdek nunlaringizdek
their singular plural
nominative nuni nunlari
genitive nunining nunlarining
dative nuniga nunlariga
definite accusative nunini nunlarini
locative nunida nunlarida
ablative nunidan nunlaridan similative nunidek nunlaridek

Volapük

Noun

nun (nominative plural nuns)

  1. message
    • 1946, “Nuns”, in Volapükagased pro Nedänapükans, page 34:
      Ko lied gretik egetobs nuni, das vomül: ‚Maria Willebrand’ in ‚Warendorf’ e söl: ‚Ing. Paul Tarnow’ in ‚Düsseldorf-Oberkassel’ edeadons sekü krigaduns.
      With great regret we have received the news that Miss Maria Willebrand of Warendorf and Mr. ing. Paul Tarnow of Düsseldorf-Oberkassel have died as a result of war action.

Declension

declension of nun
singular plural
nominative nun nuns
genitive nuna nunas
dative nune nunes
accusative nuni nunis
vocative 1 o nun! o nuns!
predicative 2 nunu nunus
  • 1 status as a case is disputed
  • 2 in later, non-classical Volapük only

Wolof

Alternative forms

  • ñun (used alongside "nun" in Urban Wolof)

Pronoun

nun

  1. we (first-person plural subject pronoun)

See also

Wolof personal pronouns
singular subject plural subject singular object plural object
1st person man nun ma nu
2nd person yow yeen la leen
3rd person moom ñoom ko leen

Zazaki

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈnun]
  • Hyphenation: nun

Noun

nun

  1. Alternative form of nan
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