nụ

Vietnamese

Pronunciation

(Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [nu˧˨ʔ]
(Huế) IPA^(key): [nʊw˨˩ʔ]
(Saigon) IPA^(key): [nʊw˨˩˨]
Audio (Hà Nội): (file)

Etymology 1

This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.
Particularly: “Probably related to Maleng Bro prnuːʔ ("breast"). If so, this is from an infixed form related to bú (“to suckle”) (bare root) and vú (“breast”) (prefixed). The semantic shift of "breast" > "nipple" > "bud" shouldn't be too far-fetched, cf. Mal poʔ ("nipple, udder, to suckle"), which is a cognate of bú, Santali ᱱᱩᱱᱩ (nunu, “nipple, breast, to suckle”) (not be confused with Santali ᱧᱩ (ñu, “to drink”), cognate of Vietnamese nhậu).”

Noun

nụ • (𦵚, 𦵝)

flower bud
- Lý hạng ca dao 里巷歌謠
  𨅹𨖲𣘃𣞻𢲨花
  𨀈𫴋𪽣𣘁𢲨𦵚尋春
  Trèo lên cây bưởi hái hoa,
  Bước xuống ruộng cà hái nụ tầm xuân.
  Climb the pomelo tree to pick flowers
  [Then] Go to the eggplant field looking for a dog rose.

Classifier

nụ • (𦵚, 𦵝)

Used for smiles and kisses
một nụ cười ― a smile

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

(classifier cây, quả, trái) nụ

Any of species Garcinia gummi-gutta (syn. Garcinia cambogia)