nyonya

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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

  • (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