nyí

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See also: nyi, nyî, Nýi, and -nyi

Hungarian

Etymology

An onomatopoeia.

Pronunciation

Verb

nyí

  1. (folksy, of dog, cat, etc.) to whimper, whine
    • 1847, János Arany, Toldi, canto 6, stanza 19, lines 1–4, trans. by Watson Kirkconnell:
      A kutyák azonban nyíttak és szűköltek, ¶ Csúnya üvöltéssel az ajtóig jöttek, ¶ Feltápászkodtak a szolgák üggyel-bajjal, ¶ Györgyöt is fölverték a fertelmes zajjal.
      Meanwhile the beagles whined and whimpered still ¶ And even sought the door with baying shrill; ¶ The servants, with an effort, got up now; ¶ George also was awakened by the row.
    • 1934, Gyula Illyés, Kutyák:
      […] Arrébb a domb megett / kezdik a villák udvarán már ¶ dalukat a szelindekek. ¶ Nem ugatnak. Fejhangon nyínak. ¶ Kimondhatatlan fájdalom ¶ hosszú rongyai szakadoznak, ¶ lengnek a sötét ágakon.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
    • 1878, Zsigmond Lehr (Q1128742) (translator), William Shakespeare (author), Venus és Adonis ("Venus and Adonis"), stanza 147, line 877:
      Hah! most ijedten nyínak az ebek… ¶ Fölriad erre, mint ki rút kigyót lát ¶ S megrémül ettől, borzad és remeg, ¶ Ha vészgyürűkben fekszi által útját: […]
      By this she hears the hounds are at a bay; ¶ Whereat she starts, like one that spies an adder ¶ Wreath’d up in fatal folds just in his way, ¶ The fear whereof doth make him shake and shudder;
  2. (folksy, of a person) to cry
    • 1936, Gyula Illyés, Galamb-ucca:
      Tömött sorokban, test a test mögött / félezer férfi sóhajt, nyí, köhög / dől, mint szélfútta fa –, […]
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Conjugation

Further reading

  • nyí in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN