Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
-nyi. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
-nyi, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
-nyi in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
-nyi you have here. The definition of the word
-nyi will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
-nyi, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Hungarian
Etymology
From the now-dialectal lative suffix -ni. First attested in the late 12th century.[1] (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation
Suffix
-nyi
- (adjective-forming suffix) -ful, as much as. Added to a noun to form an adjective meaning "as much that can fit into", "as big as …".
- villa (“fork”) + -nyi → villányi (“forkful; as much that fills a fork”)
- tenyér (“palm of the hand”) + -nyi → tenyérnyi (“as big as a palm”)
- Magyarország (“Hungary”) → egy magyarországnyi terület (“an area as big as that of Hungary”, i.e. approx. an Indiana-sized area)
Usage notes
There are several Hungarian surnames (and eponymous street names) apparently with -nyi ending, however, they usually derive from the name of a settlement that ends in -ny, so they do not contain this suffix. Some examples are Öttevényi (from Öttevény), Herényi (from Herény), Ladányi (from Ladány), Petényi/Pethényi (from Petény). Hence, their derivation from the -nyi ending is unlikely, though possible (e.g. petényi “as big as an egg cell”, from pete “egg cell”).
Derived terms
See also
References
Warlpiri
Suffix
-nyi
- non-past marker, applied to verbs of class 3 to indicate non-past tense