gnu

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See also: Gnu, GNU, gnú, and gnû

English[edit]

a few gnus

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Khoekhoe ǃnu:, likely onomatopoeic of the grunt-type noise of the gnu.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

gnu (plural gnus or gnu)

  1. A large antelope of the genus Connochaetes, native to Africa, having curved horns.
    Synonym: wildebeest

Usage notes[edit]

  • Pronunciation with initial /ɡ/ popularized as a joke, in particular through The Gnu Song.[2][3]

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 gnu”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
  2. ^ Sue Butler (2020), “False patterns in English spelling”, in Rebel Without A Clause[1], Macmillan, →ISBN: “The pronunciation [guh-noo] was popularised as a joke until we all heard that pronunciation so often that it seemed more familiar than [nu].”
  3. ^ Flanders and Swann (lyrics and music) (1957), “The Gnu Song”: “If the animal in question hadn't put that chap to shame / And remarked "I h'ain't a h'elk, I'm a g-nu"”

Further reading[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Danish[edit]

Danish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia da

Etymology[edit]

From German Gnu, from Afrikaans ghnoe, from Bantu.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ɡnuː/, [ɡ̊nuːˀ]

Noun[edit]

gnu c (singular definite gnuen, plural indefinite gnuer)

  1. gnu, wildebeest

Inflection[edit]

Finnish[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from German Gnu, from Khoekhoe !nu:.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˈɡnu(ː)/, [ˈɡnu(ː)]
  • Rhymes: -u
  • Syllabification(key): gnu

Noun[edit]

gnu

  1. gnu, wildebeest (antelope of the genus Connochaetes)
  2. black wildebeest, white-tailed gnu, Connochaetes gnou (large antelope native to south Africa)
    Synonym: valkohäntägnu
  3. blue wildebeest, brindled gnu, Connochaetes taurinus (large antelope native to eastern Africa)
    Synonym: juovagnu

Declension[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Italian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from French gnou, from Khoekhoe ǃnu:, likely onomatopoeic in origin.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

gnu m (invariable)

  1. gnu
  2. wildebeest, kokoon

References[edit]

  1. ^ gnu in Luciano Canepari, Dizionario di Pronuncia Italiana (DiPI)

Further reading[edit]

  • gnu in Collins Italian-English Dictionary
  • gnu in Aldo Gabrielli, Grandi Dizionario Italiano (Hoepli)
  • gnu in garzantilinguistica.it – Garzanti Linguistica, De Agostini Scuola Spa
  • gnu in Dizionario Italiano Olivetti, Olivetti Media Communication
  • gnu in sapere.it – De Agostini Editore
  • gnu in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Norwegian Bokmål[edit]

Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia no

Etymology[edit]

From an African language, via German Gnu.

Noun[edit]

gnu m (definite singular gnuen, indefinite plural gnuer, definite plural gnuene)

  1. a gnu or wildebeest (large antelope)

References[edit]

Norwegian Nynorsk[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Norwegian Nynorsk Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia nn

From German Gnu, from Afrikaans ghnoe. Ultimately Khoekhoe.

Noun[edit]

gnu m (definite singular gnuen, indefinite plural gnuar, definite plural gnuane)

  1. a gnu or wildebeest (large antelope)

Etymology 2[edit]

From Old Norse gnúa. Cognate with Icelandic núa.

Verb[edit]

gnu (present tense gnur, past tense gnudde, past participle gnutt/gnudd, passive infinitive gnuast, present participle gnuande, imperative gnu)

  1. (transitive) to rub hard
  2. (transitive) to compress, crush
  3. (intransitive) to work hard and evenly
  4. (intransitive) to nag

References[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Polish[edit]

Polish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia pl

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ɡnu/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -u
  • Syllabification: gnu

Noun[edit]

gnu n (indeclinable)

  1. gnu

Further reading[edit]

  • gnu in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
  • gnu in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese[edit]

Portuguese Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia pt

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from French gnou.[1][2]

Pronunciation[edit]

 

  • Rhymes: -u
  • Hyphenation: gnu

Noun[edit]

gnu m (plural gnus)

  1. gnu

References[edit]

Romanian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from French gnou.

Noun[edit]

gnu m (uncountable)

  1. gnu, wildebeest

Declension[edit]