onyoun

Middle English

onyoun

Alternative forms

• onyon, oynioun, oynon, oynoun, uniown, unon, unyon
• oynnun, oynoin, ungeon (Early Middle English)
• eyngnon, honȝon, onȝone, oyenoun, oygnon, oyneȝoun, oyneon, oyneoun, oynyon, oynyn, unnan (Late Middle English)

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French oignon, from Latin ūniōnem (“onion”); the variation in pronunciation reflects differing adaptations of Old French /uˈɲun/. Compare unioun.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /unˈ(j)uːn/, /ˈun(j)un/, /ui̯nˈ(j)uːn/, /ˈui̯n(j)un/

Noun

onyoun (plural onyouns)

1. The onion plant (Allium cepa).
2. An onion; the bulb of this plant.

Descendants

• English: onion
  • Bislama: anian
  • Tok Pisin: anian
  • → Maori: aniana
• Scots: ingan, ingin
• → Cornish: onyon
• →? Welsh: wynwyn

References

• “oinyon, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.