gnu

See also: Gnu, GNU, gnú, and gnû

English
a few gnus

Etymology

Borrowed from Khoekhoe ǃnu:, likely onomatopoeic of the grunt-type noise of the gnu.

Pronunciation
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /njuː/
  • (UK) IPA(key): /njuː/, /ɡəˈnuː/[1], /ɡəˈnjuː/[1]
    • Audio (Southern England)(file)
  • (US) IPA(key): /nuː/, /njuː/
  • Homophones: new, nu, knew, GNU (UK)
  • Rhymes: -uː

Noun

gnu (plural gnus or gnu)

  1. A large antelope of the genus Connochaetes, native to Africa, having curved horns.
    Synonym: wildebeest

Usage notes
  • Pronunciation with initial /ɡ/ popularized as a joke, in particular through The Gnu Song.[2][3]

Derived terms

Translations

References
  1. “gnu”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
  2. Sue Butler (2020), “False patterns in English spelling”, in Rebel Without A Clause‎, Macmillan, →ISBN: “The pronunciation [guh-noo] was popularised as a joke until we all heard that pronunciation so often that it seemed more familiar than [nu].”
  3. Flanders and Swann (lyrics and music) (1957), “The Gnu Song”: “If the animal in question hadn't put that chap to shame / And remarked "I h'ain't a h'elk, I'm a g-nu"”

Further reading

Anagrams

Danish

Etymology

From German Gnu, from Afrikaans ghnoe, from Bantu.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ɡnuː/, [ɡ̊nuːˀ]

Noun

gnu c (singular definite gnuen, plural indefinite gnuer)

  1. gnu, wildebeest

Inflection
Declension of gnu
common
gender		 Singular Plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative gnu gnuen gnuer gnuerne
genitive gnus gnuens gnuers gnuernes

Finnish

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from German Gnu, from Khoekhoe !nu:.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈɡnu(ː)/, [ˈɡnu(ː)]
  • Rhymes: -u
  • Syllabification(key): gnu

Noun

gnu

  1. gnu, wildebeest (antelope of the genus Connochaetes)
  2. black wildebeest, white-tailed gnu, Connochaetes gnou (large antelope native to south Africa)
    Synonym: valkohäntägnu
  3. blue wildebeest, brindled gnu, Connochaetes taurinus (large antelope native to eastern Africa)
    Synonym: juovagnu

Declension
Declension of gnu (type maa)
singular plural
nominative gnu gnut
genitive gnun gnuiden
partitive gnuta gnuita
accusative gnu
gnun		 gnut
inessive gnussa gnuissa
elative gnusta gnuista
illative gnuhun gnuihin
adessive gnulla gnuilla
ablative gnulta gnuilta
allative gnullu gnuille
essive gnuna gnuina
translative gnuksi gnuiksi
abessive gnutta gnuitta
instructive – gnuin
comitative – gnuineen

Derived terms

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from French gnou, from Khoekhoe ǃnu:, likely onomatopoeic in origin.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): */ˈɲu/*[1]
  • Rhymes: -u
  • Hyphenation: gnù

Noun

gnu m (invariable)

  1. gnu
  2. wildebeest, kokoon

References
  1. gnu in Luciano Canepari, Dizionario di Pronuncia Italiana (DiPI)

Further reading
  • gnu in Collins Italian-English Dictionary
  • gnu in Aldo Gabrielli, Grandi Dizionario Italiano (Hoepli)
  • gnu in garzantilinguistica.it – Garzanti Linguistica, De Agostini Scuola Spa
  • gnu in Dizionario Italiano Olivetti, Olivetti Media Communication
  • gnu in sapere.it – De Agostini Editore
  • gnu in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From an African language, via German Gnu.

Noun

gnu m (definite singular gnuen, indefinite plural gnuer, definite plural gnuene)

  1. a gnu or wildebeest (large antelope)

References

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

From German Gnu, from Afrikaans ghnoe. Ultimately Khoekhoe.

Noun

gnu m (definite singular gnuen, indefinite plural gnuar, definite plural gnuane)

  1. a gnu or wildebeest (large antelope)

Etymology 2

From Old Norse gnúa. Cognate with Icelandic núa.

Verb

gnu (present tense gnur, past tense gnudde, past participle gnutt/gnudd, passive infinitive gnuast, present participle gnuande, imperative gnu)

  1. (transitive) to rub hard
  2. (transitive) to compress, crush
  3. (intransitive) to work hard and evenly
  4. (intransitive) to nag

References

Anagrams

Polish

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ɡnu/
  • Audio(file)
  • Rhymes: -u
  • Syllabification: gnu

Noun

gnu n (indeclinable)

  1. gnu

Further reading
  • gnu in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
  • gnu in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from French gnou.[1][2]

Pronunciation
 
  • (Brazil) IPA(key): /ɡiˈnu/, /ˈɡnu/
    • (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /ˈɡnu/, /ɡiˈnu/
  • (Portugal) IPA(key): /ˈɡnu/, /ɡɨˈnu/

  • Rhymes: -u
  • Hyphenation: gnu

Noun

gnu m (plural gnus)

  1. gnu

References
  1. “gnu” in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa. Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2024.
  2. “gnu” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French gnou.

Noun

gnu m (uncountable)

  1. gnu, wildebeest

Declension
declension of gnu (singular only)
singular
m gender indefinite articulation definite articulation
nominative/accusative (un) gnu gnul
genitive/dative (unui) gnu gnului
vocative gnule
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