nene

Borrowed from Hawaiian nēnē, which is imitative of the bird’s call.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈneɪneɪ/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈneɪˌneɪ/
• Rhymes: -eɪneɪ
• Hyphenation: ne‧ne

nene (plural nenes or nene)

1. The Hawaiian goose, Branta sandvicensis, which was designated the state bird of Hawaii in 1957.
   • 1980, Janet Kear, A. J. Berger, “The Hawaiian Goose or Nene”, in The Hawaiian Goose: An Experiment in Conservation, Calton, Staffordshire: T. & A. D. Poyser, →ISBN; reprinted London: T. & A. D. Poyser, 2010, →ISBN, page 42:

     Ohelo Vaccinium reticulatum (and V. peleanum) and kukaenene Coprosma ernodeoides […] are the most important berries in the Nenes’ diet, and it is probably from such juicy fruit that much of their water intake comes.

   • 1991, Susan Scott, Plants and Animals of Hawai‘i, Honolulu, Hi.: Bess Press, →ISBN, page 123:

     Today, both wild and domestic dogs are a serious threat to Hawai‘i's native wildlife. The dogs prey on both seabirds and open country birds, especially the Hawaiian goose, nēnē. However, feral dogs aren't all bad, because one of their favorite foods is rats.

   • 1993, Marion Coste, Nēnē (Kolowalu Book), Honolulu, Hi.: University of Hawaii Press, →ISBN, page 20:

     Scientists think the nēnē descended from Canada geese that landed on Hawai‘i long before humans arrived. As they survived on the isolated islands for generation after generation, the geese gradually changed, becoming a new species. Today's nēnē, unlike its water-loving ancestor, is a land bird.

   • 2004, Richard Fortey, The Earth: An Intimate History, London: HarperCollins, →ISBN; republished London: Folio Society, 2011, →OCLC, page 37:

     The nene is a handsome bird that almost became extinct in the wild but was reintroduced successfully from ones bred in captivity.

   • 2011, Sara Benson, “Haleakala National Park”, in Maui: Must-do Hikes for Everyone (Top Trails), Birmingham, Ala.: Wilderness Press, →ISBN, page 197:

     Among the iconic flora and fauna found here are […] the endangered nene (Hawaiian goose). After almost going extinct, nene were reintroduced into the national park in 1962 when Boy Scouts carried geese that had been raised in captivity down into Haleakala volcano in their backpacks.

• nēnē

• Hawaiian goose
• nēnē goose

• nene (bird) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• en- -en, neen

• IPA^(key): /nɛnɛ/

nene

1. eye

nene

1. tongue

   nunene — my tongue

   nenehei — a tongue (any tongue in general)

• Alexandra Y Aikhenvald (2012) The Languages of the Amazon, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN.

nene

1. baby

• Jessica Coon, Unergatives, antipassives, and roots in Chuj (2016), p. 24

nene

1. grandmother

• IPA^(key): /ˈne.ne/,

nene

1. to stir

• manene

• Elbert, Samuel H., Pukui, Mary Kawena (1979) Hawaiian Grammar, Honolulu: University of Hawaiʻi Press, →ISBN, page 70

nene

1. big , large
2. fat

From French nez.

nene

1. nose

• Baker, Philip & Hookoomsing, Vinesh Y. 1987. Dictionnaire de créole mauricien. Morisyen – English – Français

• nea

Cf. Bulgarian неня (nenja), Serbo-Croatian nena.

nene m (uncountable)

1. (popular, familiar) Term used by children or young people to address an older man, especially an uncle.
2. (familiar) Term to address someone used in general to express disapproval, or surprise, sometimes satisfaction, etc.

• neică, bade

• unchi

Onomatopoeic; compare niño (“boy”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈnene/
• Rhymes: -ene
• Syllabification: ne‧ne

nene m or f (plural nenes, feminine nena, feminine plural nenas) (colloquial)

1. young child; kid; baby

   Coordinate term: niño

2. (familiar) babe; baby; kiddo (term of endearment for usually a male, female equivalent: nena)

• “nene”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

• Audio (Kenya):

  (file)

-nene (declinable)

1. fat

Only used of people; for animals, use -nono.

• -embamba

• unene (“thickness, obesity”)

• nini

Possibly a native word or borrowed from Spanish nene (“young child; kid; kiddo; baby; babe”). See also Japanese ねんね (nenne, “childish person (esp. a young woman); baby”).

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈneneʔ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eneʔ
• Syllabification: ne‧ne

nenè (Baybayin spelling ᜈᜒᜈᜒ)

1. (endearing) appellation for a little girl

   Synonym: ineng

2. younger sister

• “nene”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018

nene (definite accusative neneyi, plural neneler)

1. (colloquial) grandmother

• nine