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နည်း

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: နယ် and နဲ့

Burmese

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Etymology 1

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This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.
Particularly: “Not given etymology by STEDT (nɛ⁵⁵ "few / little"). Luce compares Old Chinese 罕 (OC *qʰaːnʔ, *qʰaːns, “rare, few”) and Tibetan ཉུང (nyung, “a little, a few, some”),[1] though the Old Chinese pronunciation doesn't particularly match. Apparently not to be confused with ငယ် (ngai, “small, little; young”), despite superficially similar semantics and phonetics.”

Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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  • Phonetic respelling: နယ်း;နဲ
  • IPA(key): /nɛ́; nɛ́/
  • Romanization: MLCTS: nany: • ALA-LC: naññʻʺ • BGN/PCGN: nè:; nè: • Okell: nè; nè
  • Homophone: နဲ (nai:)
  • Audio:(file)

Adjective

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နည်း • (nany:)

  1. little, small
  2. few
  3. less (in amount, number, degree, etc.)
Derived terms
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Etymology 2

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Traditionally considered (by Judson, MED, etc.) to be borrowed from Pali naya (“leading”); in this latter case, the word would be a doublet of နယ (na.ya.).

However, in light of a potential cognate in Lai [script needed] (niŋ, “way, method, custom”), which has similar phonetics and semantics, but which traditionally has had little to no contact with Indic civilization, the Pali derivation becomes less likely, as the words may stem from a Proto-Tibeto-Burman *niŋ (“way, method, custom”) (STEDT).

Pronunciation

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  • Phonetic respelling: နီး
  • IPA(key): /ní/
  • Romanization: MLCTS: nany: • ALA-LC: naññʻʺ • BGN/PCGN: ni: • Okell: nì
  • Audio:(file)

Noun

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နည်း • (nany:)

  1. way, system, method, process, procedure, ways, means

Particle

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နည်း • (nany:)

  1. (archaic) particle suffixed to a noun to denote similarity: like, in the same manner as

Derived terms

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Etymology 3

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This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.
Particularly: “Doesn't seem to be mentioned by STEDT. Luce compares Old Chinese 耳 (OC *njɯʔ) in its "auxiliary word" sense.[2]”

Particle

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နည်း • (nany:)

  1. particle ending an interrogative sentence or phrase
Derived terms
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References

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  1. ^ Luce, G. H. (1981) “-AŇ Finals (35. Few)”, in A Comparative Word-List of Old Burmese, Chinese and Tibetan, London: School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, →ISBN, page 63
  2. ^ Luce, G. H. (1981) “-AŇ Finals (36. ?, Question mark Final)”, in A Comparative Word-List of Old Burmese, Chinese and Tibetan, London: School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, →ISBN, page 63

Further reading

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