ñaña

See also: Appendix:Variations of "nana"

Asturian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɲaɲa/ [ˈɲa.ɲa]
• Rhymes: -aɲa
• Syllabification: ña‧ña

Adjective

ñaña

1. feminine singular of ñañu

Chayuco Mixtec

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

ñàñà

1. bobcat (Lynx rufus)

Derived terms

• ñaña iñu
• ñaña ndutya

References

• Pensinger, Brenda J. (1974), Diccionario mixteco-español, español-mixteco (Serie de vocabularios y diccionarios indígenas “Mariano Silva y Aceves”; 18)‎^[1] (in Spanish), México, D.F.: El Instituto Lingüístico de Verano en coordinación con la Secretaría de Educación Pública a través de la Dirección General de Educación Extraescolar en el Medio Indígena, page 97

Quechua

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɲa.ɲa/

Noun

ñaña

1. sister of a woman

Declension

Declension of ñaña

	singular	plural
nominative	ñaña	ñañakuna
accusative	ñañata	ñañakunata
dative	ñañaman	ñañakunaman
genitive	ñañap	ñañakunap
locative	ñañapi	ñañakunapi
terminative	ñañakama	ñañakunakama
ablative	ñañamanta	ñañakunamanta
instrumental	ñañawan	ñañakunawan
comitative	ñañantin	ñañakunantin
abessive	ñañannaq	ñañakunannaq
comparative	ñañahina	ñañakunahina
causative	ñañarayku	ñañakunarayku
benefactive	ñañapaq	ñañakunapaq
associative	ñañapura	ñañakunapura
distributive	ñañanka	ñañakunanka
exclusive	ñañalla	ñañakunalla

Possessive forms of ñaña

ñuqap - first-person singular ñuqap (my) singular plural nominative ñañay ñañaykuna accusative ñañayta ñañaykunata dative ñañayman ñañaykunaman genitive ñañaypa ñañaykunap locative ñañaypi ñañaykunapi terminative ñañaykama ñañaykunakama ablative ñañaymanta ñañaykunamanta instrumental ñañaywan ñañaykunawan comitative ñañaynintin ñañaykunantin abessive ñañayninnaq ñañaykunannaq comparative ñañayhina ñañaykunahina causative ñañayrayku ñañaykunarayku benefactive ñañaypaq ñañaykunapaq associative ñañaypura ñañaykunapura distributive ñañayninka ñañaykunanka exclusive ñañaylla ñañaykunalla qampa - second-person singular qampa (your) singular plural nominative ñañayki ñañaykikuna accusative ñañaykita ñañaykikunata dative ñañaykiman ñañaykikunaman genitive ñañaykipa ñañaykikunap locative ñañaykipi ñañaykikunapi terminative ñañaykikama ñañaykikunakama ablative ñañaykimanta ñañaykikunamanta instrumental ñañaykiwan ñañaykikunawan comitative ñañaykintin ñañaykikunantin abessive ñañaykinnaq ñañaykikunannaq comparative ñañaykihina ñañaykikunahina causative ñañaykirayku ñañaykikunarayku benefactive ñañaykipaq ñañaykikunapaq associative ñañaykipura ñañaykikunapura distributive ñañaykinka ñañaykikunanka exclusive ñañaykilla ñañaykikunalla paypa - third-person singular paypa (his/her/its) singular plural nominative ñañan ñañankuna accusative ñañanta ñañankunata dative ñañanman ñañankunaman genitive ñañanpa ñañankunap locative ñañanpi ñañankunapi terminative ñañankama ñañankunakama ablative ñañanmanta ñañankunamanta instrumental ñañanwan ñañankunawan comitative ñañanintin ñañankunantin abessive ñañanninnaq ñañankunannaq comparative ñañanhina ñañankunahina causative ñañanrayku ñañankunarayku benefactive ñañanpaq ñañankunapaq associative ñañanpura ñañankunapura distributive ñañaninka ñañankunanka exclusive ñañanlla ñañankunalla ñuqanchikpa - first-person inclusive plural ñuqanchikpa (our(incl)) singular plural nominative ñañanchik ñañanchikkuna accusative ñañanchikta ñañanchikkunata dative ñañanchikman ñañanchikkunaman genitive ñañanchikpa ñañanchikkunap locative ñañanchikpi ñañanchikkunapi terminative ñañanchikkama ñañanchikkunakama ablative ñañanchikmanta ñañanchikkunamanta instrumental ñañanchikwan ñañanchikkunawan comitative ñañanchiknintin ñañanchikkunantin abessive ñañanchikninnaq ñañanchikkunannaq comparative ñañanchikhina ñañanchikkunahina causative ñañanchikrayku ñañanchikkunarayku benefactive ñañanchikpaq ñañanchikkunapaq associative ñañanchikpura ñañanchikkunapura distributive ñañanchikninka ñañanchikkunanka exclusive ñañanchiklla ñañanchikkunalla ñuqaykup - first-person exclusive plural ñuqaykup (our(excl)) singular plural nominative ñañayku ñañaykukuna accusative ñañaykuta ñañaykukunata dative ñañaykuman ñañaykukunaman genitive ñañaykupa ñañaykukunap locative ñañaykupi ñañaykukunapi terminative ñañaykukama ñañaykukunakama ablative ñañaykumanta ñañaykukunamanta instrumental ñañaykuwan ñañaykukunawan comitative ñañaykuntin ñañaykukunantin abessive ñañaykunnaq ñañaykukunannaq comparative ñañaykuhina ñañaykukunahina causative ñañaykurayku ñañaykukunarayku benefactive ñañaykupaq ñañaykukunapaq associative ñañaykupura ñañaykukunapura distributive ñañaykunka ñañaykukunanka exclusive ñañaykulla ñañaykukunalla qamkunap - second-person plural qamkunap (your(pl)) singular plural nominative ñañaykichik ñañaykichikkuna accusative ñañaykichikta ñañaykichikkunata dative ñañaykichikman ñañaykichikkunaman genitive ñañaykichikpa ñañaykichikkunap locative ñañaykichikpi ñañaykichikkunapi terminative ñañaykichikkama ñañaykichikkunakama ablative ñañaykichikmanta ñañaykichikkunamanta instrumental ñañaykichikwan ñañaykichikkunawan comitative ñañaykichiknintin ñañaykichikkunantin abessive ñañaykichikninnaq ñañaykichikkunannaq comparative ñañaykichikhina ñañaykichikkunahina causative ñañaykichikrayku ñañaykichikkunarayku benefactive ñañaykichikpaq ñañaykichikkunapaq associative ñañaykichikpura ñañaykichikkunapura distributive ñañaykichikninka ñañaykichikkunanka exclusive ñañaykichiklla ñañaykichikkunalla paykunap - third-person plural paykunap (their) singular plural nominative ñañanku ñañankukuna accusative ñañankuta ñañankukunata dative ñañankuman ñañankukunaman genitive ñañankupa ñañankukunap locative ñañankupi ñañankukunapi terminative ñañankukama ñañankukunakama ablative ñañankumanta ñañankukunamanta instrumental ñañankuwan ñañankukunawan comitative ñañankuntin ñañankukunantin abessive ñañankunnaq ñañankukunannaq comparative ñañankuhina ñañankukunahina causative ñañankurayku ñañankukunarayku benefactive ñañankupaq ñañankukunapaq associative ñañankupura ñañankukunapura distributive ñañankunka ñañankukunanka exclusive ñañankulla ñañankukunalla

Coordinate terms

• • pani
  • turi
  • wawqi

Descendants

• → Spanish: ñaña

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɲaɲa/ [ˈɲa.ɲa]

• Audio (Peru):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɲa
• Syllabification: ña‧ña

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Quechua ñaña. Most senses likely influenced by nana.

Noun

ñaña f (plural ñañas)

1. (colloquial, Andes, Colombia, of a woman) sister, especially a liked one

   Ella no es mi prima, es mi ñaña.

   She's not my cousin, she's my sister.

2. (colloquial, informal, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru) sister

   Oye, ñaña, acompáñame a la panadería para el desayuno.

   Hey, sis, come with me to the bakery for breakfast.

3. (colloquial, Ecuador, Chile) older sister
4. (colloquial, Ecuador) a female relative, such as a cousin or aunt, with whom one has a close affective relationship
5. (Latin America, dated) nursemaid, wet nurse
6. (Spain, rare, informal, dated) maternal grandmother

Etymology 2

Likely a babble word of separate origins.

Noun

ñaña f (countable and uncountable, plural ñañas)

1. (colloquial, Rioplatense, offensive) ailment (especially when exaggerated or simulated)

   Él siempre está con muchas ñañas.

   He is always whining about his ailments.

2. (Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, rustic) feces

Further reading

• “ñaña”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025
• Edwin B. Williams (1968), The New College Spanish and English Dictionary, United States: Amsco School Publications

Teposcolula Mixtec

Etymology

Cognate with Chayuco Mixtec ñàñà (“bobcat”).

Noun

ñaña

1. fox
2. cat (Felis silvestris catus)

   Synonyms: quete cau, misto

Derived terms

• ñaña ydzo

References

• Alvarado, Francisco de (1593), Vocabulario en lengua misteca (in Spanish), Mexico: En casa de Pedro Balli, page 115r: “Gato. ñaña,quete cau,miſto.”
• Alvarado, Francisco de (1593), Vocabulario en lengua misteca (in Spanish), Mexico: En casa de Pedro Balli: “rapoſo,animal. ñaña.”