Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
nyau. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
nyau, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
nyau in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
nyau you have here. The definition of the word
nyau will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
nyau, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Kikuyu
Etymology
Benson (1964) suspects affinity with Maasai e-nyau (“cat”).[1]
Pronunciation
- According to Benson (1964), this a is pronounced both long and short.[1]
- As for Tonal Class, Benson (1964) classifies this term into Class 3 with a disyllabic stem, together with kĩhaato, mbembe, kiugo, and so on.
-
- As for Tonal Class, Yukawa (1981) classifies this term into a group including bũrũri (pl. mabũrũri), ikara, ikinya, itimũ, kanitha (pl. makanitha), kiugo, kĩhaato, maguta, mũgeka, mũkonyo, mũrata, mwana, mbembe, mbũri, nyaga, riitho, riũa, rũrĩmĩ (pl. nĩmĩ), ũhoro (pl. mohoro), and so on.[2]
Noun
nyau class 9/10 (plural nyau)（augmentative kĩnyau; diminutive kanyau）
- cat[1]
- Synonym: mbaka
- wild cat (Felis silvestris)[3]
References