mona

See also: Appendix:Variations of "mona"

Languages (28)

English

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Bembe • Bunama • Catalan • Cornish • Esperanto • Hawaiian • Irish • Italian • Kituba • Kongo • Lingala • Luba-Kasai • Middle English • Murui Huitoto • Old English • Old Frisian • Pali • Penrhyn • Pileni • Portuguese • Sinaugoro • Sotho • Spanish • Tahitian • Tajio • Volapük • Yola

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Page categories

English

a mona monkey, Cercopithecus mona

Etymology

From Spanish mona (“monkey”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmoʊnə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

mona (plural monas)

1. Cercopithecus mona, a West African monkey.

Further reading

• Cercopithecus mona on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Cercopithecus mona on Wikispecies.Wikispecies

Anagrams

• Amon, Mano, NOMA, Noam, Oman, Onam, mano, maon, moan, noma

Bembe

Etymology

Borrowed from Lingala mona.

Verb

-mona

1. to see

Bunama

Etymology

From Proto-Oceanic *moñak, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *məñak.

Noun

mona

1. pudding boiled in a clay pot

Related terms

• mamonana (“fat”)

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Northern) [ˈmu.nə]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Central) [ˈmo.nə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia, Northwestern) [ˈmo.na]

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

Etymology 1

From earlier mamona, maimona, from Arabic مَيْمُون (maymūn, “baboon, mandrill”).

Noun

mona f (plural mones)

1. monkey

   Synonym: mico

2. (colloquial) ape, copycat
3. (colloquial) drunkenness, hangover

   Synonyms: embriaguesa, ressaca

4. a matching card game similar to Old Maid; also the loser and the losing card in this game

Derived terms

• mona aranya
• mona de Gibraltar
• mona de nit
• mona esquirol
• mona llanosa
• mona vermella

Etymology 2

Inherited from Latin munda, plural of mundum (“world”).

Noun

mona f (plural mones)

1. a round cake garnished with eggs (originally hard-boiled, now usually chocolate) eaten at Easter

Further reading

• “mona”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007

Cornish

Etymology

Presumably from English money.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmoːnə]

Noun

mona (collective)

1. money, cash

   Synonym: arghans

2. change

Derived terms

• argh vona (“money box”)
• karten vona (“cash card”)
• mona kemmyn (“currency”)
• spena an mona (“go to the expense”, verb)

Mutation

Mutation of mona

radical	soft	aspirate	hard	mixed
mona	vona	unchanged	unchanged	fona, vona*

* after 'th
Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Cornish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Esperanto

Etymology

Etymology tree

Latin Monēta

Latin monēta

Old French moneie

Old French monoie

French monnaiebor.

▲

Old French monoie

Anglo-Norman muneiebor.

Middle English moneye

English moneybor.

Esperanto mono

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂

Proto-Italic *-ā

Latin -ader.

▲

Latin -a

Italian -ader.

▲

Latin -a

Old Spanish -a

Spanish -ader.

Esperanto -a

Esperanto mona

From mono + -a.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmona/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ona
• Syllabification: mo‧na

Adjective

mona (accusative singular monan, plural monaj, accusative plural monajn)

1. (money) pecuniary, monetary

Further reading

• “mona”, in Plena Ilustrita Vortaro de Esperanto [Complete Illustrated Dictionary of Esperanto], 2020, →ISBN
• “mona”, in Reta Vortaro [Online Dictionary] (in Esperanto), 1997-2026

Hawaiian

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *mona, from Proto-Central Pacific *moña, from Proto-Oceanic *moñak, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *moñak, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *məñak, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *məñak. Cognates include Māori mōmona (“fat, soft sweet”) and Tahitian momona, monamona (“sweet, tasty”). Doublet of momona.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmo.na/, [ˈmo.nə]

Noun

mona

1. fat (specialized animal tissue)

Verb

mona

1. (stative) fat (carrying a larger than normal amount of fat on one's body)
2. (stative) fertile, rich (as soil)
3. (stative) fruitful

Derived terms

• momona
• monamona (“dessert”)

References

• Pukui, Mary Kawena; Elbert, Samuel H. (1986), “momona”, in Hawaiian Dictionary, Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, →ISBN, page 253

Irish

Noun

mona m (genitive singular mona, nominative plural monaí)

1. coinage; money

Declension

Declension of mona (fourth declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative mona monaí vocative a mhona a mhonaí genitive mona monaí dative mona monaí forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an mona na monaí genitive an mhona na monaí dative leis an mona don mhona leis na monaí

Mutation

Mutated forms of mona

radical	lenition	eclipsis
mona	mhona	not applicable

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “mona”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla [Irish–English Dictionary], Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959), “mona”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “mona”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013–2026

Italian

Etymology 1

From Spanish mono, of Arabic origin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɔ.na/
• Rhymes: -ɔna
• Hyphenation: mò‧na

Noun

mona f (plural mone)

1. (obsolete) monkey

Etymology 2

Uncertain.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmo.na/
• Rhymes: -ona
• Hyphenation: mó‧na

Noun

mona f (plural mone)

1. (regional, chiefly Triveneto, vulgar, figurative) cunt, pussy

Noun

mona m (invariable)

1. (regional, chiefly Triveneto, vulgar, derogatory) idiot, silly, dupe

Anagrams

• Maon, Oman, mano, noma

Kituba

Verb

mona

1. to see

Kongo

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *-bóna.

Verb

mona

1. to see

Lingala

Etymology

Borrowed from Kongo mona.

Verb

-mona (infinitive komona)

1. to see

Luba-Kasai

Verb

mona

1. to see

Middle English

Noun

mona

1. (Early Middle English) alternative form of mone (“moon”)

Murui Huitoto

mona
Root	Classifier
mona-	—

Etymology

Cognates include Minica Huitoto mona and Nüpode Huitoto mona.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmɔna]
• Hyphenation: mo‧na

Noun

mona

1. sky

Declension

Declension of mona

	singular	plural
absolutive	mona	monaɨaɨ
nominative	monadɨ	monaɨaɨdɨ
accusative	monana	monaɨaɨna
dative/locative	monamo	monaɨaɨmo
ablative	monamona	monaɨaɨmona
instrumental	monado	monaɨaɨdo
causal	monari	monaɨaɨri
privative	monanino	monaɨaɨnino
sequential	monanona	monaɨaɨnona

References

• Shirley Burtch (1983), Diccionario Huitoto Murui (Tomo I) (Linguistica Peruana No. 20)‎^[2] (in Spanish), Yarinacocha, Peru: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, page 179
• Katarzyna Izabela Wojtylak (2017), A grammar of Murui (Bue): a Witotoan language of Northwest Amazonia.‎^[3], Townsville: James Cook University press (PhD thesis), page 127

Old English

Full mōna of eorðan ġesewen

Sē mōna on fulre mōnan āsprungennesse

Alternative forms

• mōne f

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *mānō, from Proto-Germanic *mēnô, from Proto-Indo-European *mḗh₁n̥s, probably a suffixed form of an ultimate root *meh₁- (“to measure”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmoː.nɑ/

Noun

mōna m

1. moon
   • c. 994, Ælfric, On the Seasons of the Year

     Sē mōna næfþ nān lēoht būtan of þǣre sunnan lēoman, and hē is ealra tungla niðemest.

     The moon has no light except from the sun, and it is the lowest of all the heavenly bodies.

   • The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

     An. DCCXXXIIII Hēr wæs sē mōna swylċe hē wǣre mid blōde begoten, ⁊ forðferdan Tātwine ⁊ Beda

     Year 734 In this year it was as if the moon was covered in blood, and Tatwine and Beda died.

   Lōca nū hū beorhte sē mōna tō niht sċīnþ!

   Look how bright the moon is shining tonight!

   On þæs mōnan lēohte læġ lȳtel ǣġ on lēafe.

   In the light of the moon, a little egg lay on a leaf.

Declension

Weak:

	singular	plural
nominative	mōna	mōnan
accusative	mōnan	mōnan
genitive	mōnan	mōnena
dative	mōnan	mōnum

Derived terms

• full mōna
• mōnan āsprungennes
• mōnanǣfen
• mōnandæġ
• mōnanniht
• mōnlīċ
• mōnsēoc
• nīewe mōna

Descendants

• Middle English: mone, moone, mon, moyn, monæ, mona
  • English: moon, moone (obsolete)
    • → Japanese: ムーン
    • Sranan Tongo: mun
    • Tok Pisin: mun
    • Torres Strait Creole: mun
  • Scots: muin, mone, monne, moon, moune, mowne, moyn, moyne, mune, mwne
  • Yola: mona, moone
  • Geordie: muin, meun

Old Frisian

Thî môna.

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *mānō, from Proto-Germanic *mēnô, from Proto-Indo-European *mḗh₁n̥s (“moon, month”). Cognates include Old English mōna, Old High German mâno, Old Norse máni and Gothic 𐌼𐌴𐌽𐌰 (mēna).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɔːna/

Noun

môna m

1. moon

Descendants

• North Frisian:

  Föhr-Amrum: muun

  Mooring: moune

  Sylt: Muun

• Saterland Frisian: Moune
• West Frisian: moanne

References

• Bremmer, Rolf H. (2009), An Introduction to Old Frisian: History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, →ISBN

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

• 𑀫𑁄𑀦 (Brahmi script)
• मोन (Devanagari script)
• মোন (Bengali script)
• මොන (Sinhalese script)
• မောန or မေႃၼ (Burmese script)
• โมน or โมนะ (Thai script)
• ᨾᩮᩣᨶ (Tai Tham script)
• ໂມນ or ໂມນະ (Lao script)
• មោន (Khmer script)
• 𑄟𑄮𑄚 (Chakma script)

Noun

mona n

1. wisdom
2. self-possession
3. silence

Penrhyn

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *mona, from Proto-Oceanic *moñak, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *məñak.

Verb

mona

1. (stative) be sweet

Related terms

• momona (“fat”)
• monamona (“lollipop, candy”)

Pileni

Mona.

Etymology

From Proto-Nuclear Polynesian *mona, from Proto-Polynesian *mona, from Proto-Oceanic *moñak, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *moñak, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *məñak, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *məñak.

Noun

mona

1. pudding (dense traditional baked or boiled dish, typically made of grated root vegetables)

   Hiai po me vaua oki mui inu i te mona?

   Why don’t you smear some more coconut cream on the pudding?

   Te meitama koi huahokia te mona dekina a ia e hiekai loa.

   The boy consumed all the pudding as he was very hungry.

Derived terms

• huapotu mona (“basket with puddings”)
• momona (“oily, greasy”)
• mona taveli (“mashed banana pudding”)

References

• Hovdhaugen, Even (2006), “mona”, in A Short Dictionary of the Vaeakau-Taumako Language, Oslo: Kon-Tiki Museum, Institute for Pacific Archaeology and Cultural History, →ISSN, page 89
• Næss, Åshild; Hovdhaugen, Even (2011), Bossong, Georg, Comrie, Bernard, Dryer, Matthew, editors, A Grammar of Vaeakau-Taumako (Mouton Grammar Library; 52), Berlin; Boston: Walter de Gruyter GmbH, →ISBN, page 152

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈmõ.nɐ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈmo.nɐ/

• Rhymes: (Brazil) -õnɐ, (Portugal) -onɐ
• Hyphenation: mo‧na

Etymology 1

From Venetan mona (“pussy, cunt”).

Possibly borrowed from Spanish mona.

Noun

mona f (plural monas)

1. female equivalent of mono
2. rag doll

   Synonyms: marafona, matrafona

3. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (Brazil, informal) vagina

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:vagina

4. (informal) drunkenness

   Synonym: bebedeira

   • 1906 March 3, A Situação, Jaguarão, page 2; quoted in Jeferson Francisco Selbach, Rosemary Fritsch Brum, “Jornal A Situação 1906 a 1920”, in Ruralização e viver em fronteira: Jaguarão/RS, Porto Alegre: Animal, 13 May 2017, →ISBN, page 99:

     Hoje a 1 hora da tarde foi tambem conduzido áquelle posto o creoulo Manoel Oliveira, por estar cahido com forte «mona» na rua 15 de Novembro, na porta do estabelecimento funerário do Sr. Miguel Dellelis.

5. the state of being upset, bothered or annoyed

   Synonyms: aborrecimento, amuamento, amuo

6. (Brazil, informal) woman
7. (informal) head

   Synonym: cabeça

8. (bullfighting) armor used by the bullfighter under his shorts

Etymology 2

from Kimbundu mona ("child").

Noun

mona m or f (plural monas)

1. (Angola, slang) child, boy or girl
2. (LGBTQ, slang) person or folx

Related terms

• mana
• mano
• mina

Etymology 3

Unknown.

Adjective

mona

1. feminine singular of mono

Noun

mona f (plural monas)

1. a goat lacking one of its horns

Further reading

• “mona”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “mona” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913
• “mona”, in Dicio – Dicionário Online de Português (in Portuguese), São Paulo: 7Graus, 2009–2026
• “mona”, in Dicionário Infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026
• “mona”, in Dicionário inFormal (in Portuguese), 2006–2026
• “mona”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2026, →ISBN
• “mona”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Sinaugoro

Etymology

From Proto-Oceanic *moñak, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *məñak.

Noun

mona

1. fat, grease

Sotho

Adverb

mona

1. here; proximal demonstrative adverb.

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmona/ [ˈmo.na]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ona
• Syllabification: mo‧na

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

Arabic يَمَنَ (yamana)der.

Arabic مَيْمُون (maymūn)bor.

Spanish maimón

Spanish maimonaclip.?

Spanish mona

Possibly clipping of maimona, female equivalent of maimón, borrowed from Arabic مَيْمُون (maymūn, “baboon, mandrill”). Compare English monkey.

Noun

mona f (plural monas, masculine mono, masculine plural monos)

1. female equivalent of mono: female monkey
2. copycat
3. (Mexico, Chile) doll, puppet
4. (Colombia) blonde woman

Derived terms

• a freír monas
• aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda
• como la mona
• mona china
• pintar la mona

Descendants

• → English: mona
• → Italian: mona

Noun

mona f (plural monas)

1. drunkenness, fuddle

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:borrachera

Derived terms

• amonarse
• dormir la mona

Adjective

mona f sg

1. feminine singular of mono

Etymology 2

Noun

mona f (plural monas)

1. A type of circular cake, similar to a roscón

Derived terms

• mona de Pascua

Further reading

• “mona”, 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

Tahitian

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *mona, from Proto-Oceanic *moñak, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *məñak.

Adjective

mona

1. sweet

Related terms

• momona
• monamona

References

• Lemaître, Yves (1995), Lexique du tahitien contemporain [Current Tahitian lexicon]‎^[4] (in French), Paris: Éditions de l'Orstom, →ISBN
• “mona” in Dictionnaire en ligne Tahitien/Français (Online Tahitian–French Dictionary), by the Tahitian Academy.

Tajio

Adverb

mona

1. not

Volapük

Noun

mona

1. genitive singular of mon

Yola

Etymology

From Middle English mone, from Old English mōna (“moon”), from Proto-West Germanic *mānō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmoːnə/

Noun

mona

1. moon
   • 1788, VOCABULARY of the LANGUAGE of the Barony of FORTH and BARGIE.:

     halluf-mona,

     half-moon.

Derived terms

• halluf-mona

References

• Charles Vallancey (1788), “Memoir of the Language, Manners and Customs of an Anglo-Saxon Colony Settled in the Baronies of Forth and Bargie, in the County of Wexford, Ireland, in 1167, 1168 and 1169.”, in The Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy‎^[5], volume 2, Royal Irish Academy, page 31