nyonya

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word nyonya. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word nyonya, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say nyonya in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word nyonya you have here. The definition of the word nyonya will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofnyonya, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
See also: Nyonya

Indonesian

Etymology

From Malay nyonya, possibly from Portuguese dona (lady) via Javanese thus doublet of nona and nonya. See also Hokkien 娘仔 (niô͘-á). Semantic loan from Javanese nyonyah.

Pronunciation

Noun

nyonya

  1. madam
  2. wife
    Synonym: istri

Derived terms

See also

Further reading

Malay

Alternative forms

Etymology

Perhaps from Portuguese dona (lady) via Javanese thus doublet of nona and nonya. See also Hokkien 娘娘 (niû-niû) or 娘仔 (niô͘-á). Compare Macanese nhonha, Spanish doña (lady).

Pronunciation

Noun

nyonya (Jawi spelling ڽوڽا, plural nyonya-nyonya, informal 1st possessive nyonyaku, 2nd possessive nyonyamu, 3rd possessive nyonyanya)

  1. A Nyonya; a female Peranakan.
  2. (Java) A married Chinese or European lady of some position; madam
  3. (Malaya) A married colonial Straits-born Chinese or Eurasian or Portuguese lady (as opposed to immigrant Chinese or European women)

Descendants

  • English: Nyonya
  • Indonesian: nyonya
  • ? Macanese: nhonha
  • Hokkien: 娘惹 (nō͘-niâ)

See also

References

  • Wilkinson, Richard James (1901) “ڽوڽه nyonyah”, in A Malay-English dictionary, Hong Kong: Kelly & Walsh limited, page 700
  • Wilkinson, Richard James (1932) “nyonya”, in A Malay-English dictionary (romanised), volume II, Mytilene, Greece: Salavopoulos & Kinderlis, page 182
  • Dalgado, Sebastião Rodolfo (1936) Xavier, Anthony, transl., Portuguese Vocables in Asiatic Languages, Baroda: Oriental Institute, pages 136-8

Further reading

Swahili

Pronunciation

  • Audio (Kenya):(file)

Verb

-nyonya (infinitive kunyonya)

  1. to suck (to work the lips and tongue on)
  2. to breastfeed
  3. to exploit someone

Conjugation

Conjugation of -nyonya
Positive present -nanyonya
Subjunctive -nyonye
Negative -nyonyi
Imperative singular nyonya
Infinitives
Positive kunyonya
Negative kutonyonya
Imperatives
Singular nyonya
Plural nyonyeni
Tensed forms
Habitual hunyonya
Positive past positive subject concord + -linyonya
Negative past negative subject concord + -kunyonya
Positive present (positive subject concord + -nanyonya)
Singular Plural
1st person ninanyonya/nanyonya tunanyonya
2nd person unanyonya mnanyonya
3rd person m-wa(I/II) ananyonya wananyonya
other classes positive subject concord + -nanyonya
Negative present (negative subject concord + -nyonyi)
Singular Plural
1st person sinyonyi hatunyonyi
2nd person hunyonyi hamnyonyi
3rd person m-wa(I/II) hanyonyi hawanyonyi
other classes negative subject concord + -nyonyi
Positive future positive subject concord + -tanyonya
Negative future negative subject concord + -tanyonya
Positive subjunctive (positive subject concord + -nyonye)
Singular Plural
1st person ninyonye tunyonye
2nd person unyonye mnyonye
3rd person m-wa(I/II) anyonye wanyonye
other classes positive subject concord + -nyonye
Negative subjunctive positive subject concord + -sinyonye
Positive present conditional positive subject concord + -ngenyonya
Negative present conditional positive subject concord + -singenyonya
Positive past conditional positive subject concord + -ngalinyonya
Negative past conditional positive subject concord + -singalinyonya
Gnomic (positive subject concord + -anyonya)
Singular Plural
1st person nanyonya twanyonya
2nd person wanyonya mwanyonya
3rd person m-wa(I/II) anyonya wanyonya
m-mi(III/IV) wanyonya yanyonya
ji-ma(V/VI) lanyonya yanyonya
ki-vi(VII/VIII) chanyonya vyanyonya
n(IX/X) yanyonya zanyonya
u(XI) wanyonya see n(X) or ma(VI) class
ku(XV/XVII) kwanyonya
pa(XVI) panyonya
mu(XVIII) mwanyonya
Perfect positive subject concord + -menyonya
"Already" positive subject concord + -meshanyonya
"Not yet" negative subject concord + -janyonya
"If/When" positive subject concord + -kinyonya
"If not" positive subject concord + -siponyonya
Consecutive kanyonya / positive subject concord + -kanyonya
Consecutive subjunctive positive subject concord + -kanyonye
Object concord (indicative positive)
Singular Plural
1st person -ninyonya -tunyonya
2nd person -kunyonya -wanyonya/-kunyonyeni/-wanyonyeni
3rd person m-wa(I/II) -mnyonya -wanyonya
m-mi(III/IV) -unyonya -inyonya
ji-ma(V/VI) -linyonya -yanyonya
ki-vi(VII/VIII) -kinyonya -vinyonya
n(IX/X) -inyonya -zinyonya
u(XI) -unyonya see n(X) or ma(VI) class
ku(XV/XVII) -kunyonya
pa(XVI) -panyonya
mu(XVIII) -munyonya
Reflexive -jinyonya
Relative forms
General positive (positive subject concord + (object concord) + -nyonya- + relative marker)
Singular Plural
m-wa(I/II) -nyonyaye -nyonyao
m-mi(III/IV) -nyonyao -nyonyayo
ji-ma(V/VI) -nyonyalo -nyonyayo
ki-vi(VII/VIII) -nyonyacho -nyonyavyo
n(IX/X) -nyonyayo -nyonyazo
u(XI) -nyonyao see n(X) or ma(VI) class
ku(XV/XVII) -nyonyako
pa(XVI) -nyonyapo
mu(XVIII) -nyonyamo
Other forms (subject concord + tense marker + relative marker + (object concord) + -nyonya)
Singular Plural
m-wa(I/II) -yenyonya -onyonya
m-mi(III/IV) -onyonya -yonyonya
ji-ma(V/VI) -lonyonya -yonyonya
ki-vi(VII/VIII) -chonyonya -vyonyonya
n(IX/X) -yonyonya -zonyonya
u(XI) -onyonya see n(X) or ma(VI) class
ku(XV/XVII) -konyonya
pa(XVI) -ponyonya
mu(XVIII) -monyonya
Some forms not commonly seen in modern Standard Swahili are absent from the table. See Appendix:Swahili verbs for more information.

Derived terms