Name for the letter of the Greek alphabet Ν(N) and ν(n).
Pronunciation
(Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /njuː/
(General American) IPA(key): /nu/
Rhymes: -uː
Noun
nu (uncountable)
The letter of the Greek alphabet Ν(N) and ν(n).
A measure of constringence in lenses or prisms.
Translations
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Yiddishנו (nu).
Pronunciation
(US) IPA(key): /nu/
Interjection
nu
(Jewish) An exclamation of surprise, emphasis, doubt, etc.
Translations
Etymology 3
Phonetic respelling of new.
Adjective
nu (comparativemore nu, superlativemost nu)
(slang spelling) new
Derived terms
nu-disco
nu-house
nu jazz
nu metal
Anagrams
'un, -un-, UN, Un, un, un-
Ainu
Etymology
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /nu/
Verb
nu (Kana spellingヌ)
(transitive) to hear
(transitive) to sense (a smell)
(possibly obsolete, transitive, + otta) to ask, enquire
Derived terms
inu(“to listen”)
Aiwoo
Verb
nu
to drink
References
Ross, M. & Næss, Å. (2007) , “An Oceanic origin for Äiwoo, the language of the Reef Islands?”, in Oceanic Linguistics, volume 46, issue 2. Cited in: "Äiwoo" in Greenhill, S.J., Blust, R., & Gray, R.D. (2008). The Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database: From Bioinformatics to Lexomics. Evolutionary Bioinformatics, 4:271-283.
Albanian
Etymology
From Proto-Albanian*nu, from Proto-Indo-European*nu(“now”). Related to ni. Compare Ancient Greekνῦν(nûn), Old High Germannu(“now”).
Adverb
nu
when
Related terms
ni
References
Ama
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /nu/
Noun
nu
house
Aromanian
Etymology
From Latinnōn. Compare Romaniannu.
Adverb
nu
no
not
Interjection
nu
no
Antonyms
ie
Au
Noun
nu
tree
References
Scorza, David. Au language word, phrase, clause. Ms. 82pp. (1976)
Blagar
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /nu/
Numeral
nu
one
References
W. A. L. Stokhof, Preliminary notes on the Alor and Pantar languages (East Indonesia) (1975)
Internet Archive, The Rosetta Project, Blagar Swadesh List
Catalan
Etymology
From Latinnūdus, from Proto-Indo-European*nogʷós.
Pronunciation
(Balearic, Central, Valencian) IPA(key): /ˈnu/
Rhymes: -u
Adjective
nu (femininenua, masculine pluralnus, feminine pluralnues)
nude, naked
(of things, such as trees, mountains, houses, etc.) barren, bare
Derived terms
nuesa
nudista
Dalmatian
Etymology 1
From Latinnovem.
Numeral
nu
nine
Etymology 2
From Latinnōs.
Pronoun
nu
(second-person plural pronoun) we
Related terms
noi
See also
ju
te
jal, jala
vu
jali, jale
Danish
Etymology
From Old Norsenú(“now”), from Proto-Indo-European*nu(“now”).
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /nu/, [nu]
Noun
nun (singular definitenuet, not used in plural form)
now (present time), present (current time)
moment
instant
Adverb
nu
now
Synonyms
Conjunction
nu
now
Dutch
Etymology
From Middle Dutchnu, from Old Dutchnū, from Proto-Germanic*nu.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /ny/
Rhymes: -y
Adverb
nu
now, at the present moment
now, this time (indicating a certain amount of impatience)
Synonyms
nou
thans
heden
Conjunction
nu
now (that)
Nu je het zegt, weet ik het weer.
Now you're saying it, I do remember it.
East Central German
Etymology
From Sorbian or Czech. Cf. no.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /nɵ/
Adverb
nu
(Upper Saxon) yes
Elfdalian
Etymology
From Old Norsenú, from Proto-Germanic*nu. Cognate with Swedishnu.
Adverb
nu
now, at this time
Esperanto
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /nu/
Interjection
nu
well (as in “Well, I think...”)
Ewe
Noun
nu
mouth
French
Etymology
From Old Frenchnu, from Latinnūdus, from Proto-Indo-European*nogʷós.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /ny/
Adjective
nu (feminine singularnue, masculine pluralnus, feminine pluralnues)
(person): naked, nude
(body, tree): bare
Noun
num (pluralnuornus)
nu(Greek letter)
Further reading
“nu” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
Anagrams
un
Galician
Etymology
From Old Portuguesenuu, from Latinnūdus, from Proto-Indo-European*nogʷós.
Adjective
num (feminine singularnúa, masculine pluralnus, feminine pluralnúas)
naked, nude
bare, barren
Related terms
nudez
Gaulish
Etymology
From Proto-Celtic*nu, from Proto-Indo-European*nu.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): [nu]
Adverb
nu
now
German
Etymology 1
From Middle High Germannu, nuo. The form without a final -n remained common in some dialects and was reinforced by German Low Germannu, from Middle Low Germannû.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /nuː/
Adverb
nu
(colloquial)Alternative form of nun
Derived terms
im Nu
Interjection
nu
(colloquial)Alternative form of nun
Etymology 2
From a Slavic dialect, probably Sorbian. Compare Czechano(“yes”), Polishno(“yeah; well”), Russianну(nu, “yeah; well”). In the sense of a filled pause touching on etymology 1 above.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): [nɵ]
Interjection
nu
(colloquial, regional, Saxony) yes; yeah; expresses agreement or understanding
(colloquial, regional, Saxony) well; fills pause
Gothic
Romanization
nu
Romanization of 𐌽𐌿
Italian
Pronunciation
Rhymes: -u
Noun
num or f (invariable)
The name of the letter N
Anagrams
un, un'
Japanese
Romanization
nu
Rōmaji transcription of ぬ
Rōmaji transcription of ヌ
Kabuverdianu
Etymology
From Portuguesenós.
Pronoun
nu
we
References
Gonçalves, Manuel (2015) Capeverdean Creole-English dictionary, →ISBN
Kosraean
Etymology
From Proto-Oceanic, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian*ñiuʀ. Compare Pohnpeiannih, Fijianniu, Tonganniu, Hawaiianniu.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /nu/
Noun
nu
coconut
Lashi
Etymology
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan*ŋwa. Cognates include Burmeseနွား(nwa:) and Chinese牛(niú).
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /nu/, [nũ]
Noun
nu
cow
References
Hkaw Luk (2017) A grammatical sketch of Lacid[1], Chiang Mai: Payap University (master thesis)
Latvian
Particle
nu
well
now
Interjection
nu
well
Mandarin
Romanization
nu
Nonstandard spelling of nú.
Nonstandard spelling of nǔ.
Nonstandard spelling of nù.
Nonstandard spelling of nǚ.
Nonstandard spelling of nǜ.
Usage notes
English transcriptions of Mandarin speech often fail to distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without the appropriate indication of tone.
Mauritian Creole
Pronoun
nu
Alternative spelling of nou
See also
Middle Dutch
Etymology
From Old Dutchnu, from Proto-Germanic*nu.
Adverb
nu
now, currently
today
here
just now
Descendants
Dutch: nu
Limburgish: noe
Conjunction
nu
now that
since, because
Descendants
Dutch: nu
Limburgish: noe
Further reading
“nu”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J. (1885–1929) , “nu (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page I
Middle English
Adverb
nu
Alternative spelling of nou
Muong
Etymology
Cognate with Vietnamesenâu.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /nuː¹/
Adjective
nu
brown
Neapolitan
Alternative forms
'nu
n'
Etymology
From Latinūnus.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /nu/
Article
num sg
a, an
Norman
Etymology
From Old Frenchnu, from Latinnūdus.
Adjective
num
(Jersey) bare
Northern Sami
Etymology
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation
(Kautokeino) IPA(key): /ˈnuː/
Adverb
nū
so, thus, like that
so, to that extent
Further reading
Koponen, Eino; Ruppel, Klaas; Aapala, Kirsti, editors (2002-2008) Álgu database: Etymological database of the Saami languages[2], Helsinki: Research Institute for the Languages of Finland
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology 1
Noun
num (definite singularnuen, indefinite pluralnuer, definite pluralnuene)
a trough
Etymology 2
From Old Norsenú.
Adverb
nu
(archaic or dialectal)now; Alternative form of nå
Interjection
nu
Alternative form of nå
Noun
nun (definite singularnuet, uncountable)
Alternative form of nå
References
“nu” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology 1
Noun
num (definite singularnuen, indefinite pluralnuar, definite pluralnuane)
a trough
Etymology 2
From Old Norsenú.
Adverb
nu
(dialectal)now; Alternative form of no
Interjection
nu
Alternative form of no
Noun
nun (definite singularnuet, uncountable)
Alternative form of no
References
“nu” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Old Dutch
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic*nu.
Adverb
nū
now
Descendants
Middle Dutch: nu
Dutch: nu
Limburgish: noe
Further reading
“nū (I)”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012
Old English
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic*nu.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /nuː/
Adverb
nū
now
late 10th century, Ælfric, "On the Passion of the Apostles Peter and Paul"
just (in the sense "recently")
Derived terms
nū rihte
Descendants
Middle English: nu, nou, now
English: now
Scots: now
Conjunction
nū
now that
Old French
Etymology
From Latinnūdus.
Adjective
num (oblique and nominative feminine singularnue)
naked
Adverb
num (femininenue)
naked
Descendants
French: nu
Old Saxon
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic*nu.
Adverb
nū
now
Pali
Etymology
From Sanskritनु(nu), from Proto-Indo-European*nu.
Particle
nu
then, now
Pará Arára
Alternative forms
Noun
nu
tumour; abscess
References
2010, Isaac Costa de Souza, A Phonological Description of “Pet Talk” in Arara (MA), SIL Brazil, page 42.
Phalura
Etymology 1
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /nu/
Pronoun
nu (demonstrative, Perso-Arabic spellingنوۡ)
it
he
this one (prox masc nom)
References
Liljegren, Henrik; Haider, Naseem (2011) Palula Vocabulary (FLI Language and Culture Series; 7)[3], Islamabad, Pakistan: Forum for Language Initiatives, →ISBN
Etymology 2
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /nu/
Determiner
nu (demonstrative, Perso-Arabic spellingنوۡ)
this (agr: prox nom masc)
References
Liljegren, Henrik; Haider, Naseem (2011) Palula Vocabulary (FLI Language and Culture Series; 7)[4], Islamabad, Pakistan: Forum for Language Initiatives, →ISBN
Plautdietsch
Adverb
nu
now
Polish
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /nu/
Interjection
nu
quick!, forward!
(dialectal)Alternative form of no.
See also
nuże
Further reading
nu in Polish dictionaries at PWN
M. Arcta Słownik ilustrowany języka polskiego/Nu! on the Polish Wikisource.pl.Wikisource:M. Arcta Słownik ilustrowany języka polskiego/Nu!
Portuguese
Alternative forms
nú(obsolete, now a common misspelling)
nù(obsolete)
Etymology
From Old Portuguesenuu, from Latinnūdus, from Proto-Indo-European*nogʷós.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /ˈnu/
Rhymes: -u
Adjective
nu (feminine singularnua, masculine pluralnus, feminine pluralnuas, comparable)