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ArchivesRe: Does anybody know what Nunu is short for?
in reply to a message by PrincessZ
Did your friend have any South African connections? Or even a long-ago South African neighbour? This extract may help:
nunu, noun
/ˈnunuː/
Forms:
Also noonoo.
Origin:
Zulu inunu (plural izinunu) horrible object or animal; monster; bogy.
colloquial
Especially in KwaZulu-Natal:
1. rare. A term of endearment (particularly to a child); a nickname.
c1948 H. Tracey Lalela Zulu 39 Nunu, my darling. I am troubled and know not what to do...My heart is so disturbed by you, Nunu.
2. An insect: gogga sense 1. Also figurative.
1970 A.K. Leys Informant, DurbanThe children gathered round to inspect the nu-nu (insect or grub).
1993 Weekend Post 25 Sept. 4If you also wonder what that noonoo, long-legged beastie or simple birdcall is, the museum is the place to be. Wednesday sees the creepy-crawlies feature in a talk on ‘Goggas and NooNoos, Long-leggedy Beasties and Things that Go Bump in the Night’.
This is from the Dictionary of South African English, a scholarly and reputable publication.
A picture on facebook about four years ago, of a young mother and her toddler, got lots of happy comments including "Oh, the little nunu!" They are white South Africans, and judging from the names of the other posters, so are most of their friends. I am familiar with both meanings given in DSAE and have heard them used, never in a bad way at all! In spite of the insect link! If it isn't a term of affection for a human child, it's a way of referring to an insect etc that one doesn't know the name of; a bit like 'creepy-crawly'.
nunu, noun
/ˈnunuː/
Forms:
Also noonoo.
Origin:
Zulu inunu (plural izinunu) horrible object or animal; monster; bogy.
colloquial
Especially in KwaZulu-Natal:
1. rare. A term of endearment (particularly to a child); a nickname.
c1948 H. Tracey Lalela Zulu 39 Nunu, my darling. I am troubled and know not what to do...My heart is so disturbed by you, Nunu.
2. An insect: gogga sense 1. Also figurative.
1970 A.K. Leys Informant, DurbanThe children gathered round to inspect the nu-nu (insect or grub).
1993 Weekend Post 25 Sept. 4If you also wonder what that noonoo, long-legged beastie or simple birdcall is, the museum is the place to be. Wednesday sees the creepy-crawlies feature in a talk on ‘Goggas and NooNoos, Long-leggedy Beasties and Things that Go Bump in the Night’.
This is from the Dictionary of South African English, a scholarly and reputable publication.
A picture on facebook about four years ago, of a young mother and her toddler, got lots of happy comments including "Oh, the little nunu!" They are white South Africans, and judging from the names of the other posters, so are most of their friends. I am familiar with both meanings given in DSAE and have heard them used, never in a bad way at all! In spite of the insect link! If it isn't a term of affection for a human child, it's a way of referring to an insect etc that one doesn't know the name of; a bit like 'creepy-crawly'.
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