nonnetje

Dutch

Mergellus albellus (male) in Nederlandsche vogelen, 1770-1829

Mergellus albellus (female) in Nederlandsche vogelen, 1770-1829

Etymology

Literally, “little nun”.

• The sense "smew" is derived from the black and white coloring of the male's plumage.
• The sense "mollusk" is said to derive from fishermen's slang, alluding to nuns' chastity: reportedly, the clam is difficult to open with the tongue. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnɔnətjə/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

nonnetje n (plural nonnetjes)

1. diminutive of non

Noun

nonnetje n (plural nonnetjes)

1. smew (Mergellus albellus).

   Synonym: kleine zaagbek (obsolete)

   Hypernym: zaagbek

2. Baltic macoma, Baltic clam, Baltic tellin (Limecola balthica syn. Macoma balthica)

Further reading

• nonnetje on the Dutch Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^nl