nene

Etymology

Borrowed from Hawaiian nēnē, which is imitative of the bird’s call.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈneɪneɪ/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈneɪˌneɪ/
• Rhymes: -eɪneɪ
• Hyphenation: ne‧ne

Noun

nene (plural nenes or nene)

1. The Hawaiian goose, Branta sandvicensis, which was designated the state bird of Hawaii in 1957.
   • 1980, Janet Kear, A. J. Berger, “The Hawaiian Goose or Nene”, in The Hawaiian Goose: An Experiment in Conservation, Calton, Staffordshire: T. & A. D. Poyser, →ISBN; reprinted London: T. & A. D. Poyser, 2010, →ISBN, page 42:

     Ohelo Vaccinium reticulatum (and V. peleanum) and kukaenene Coprosma ernodeoides […] are the most important berries in the Nenes’ diet, and it is probably from such juicy fruit that much of their water intake comes.

   • 1991, Susan Scott, Plants and Animals of Hawai‘i, Honolulu, Hi.: Bess Press, →ISBN, page 123:

     Today, both wild and domestic dogs are a serious threat to Hawai‘i's native wildlife. The dogs prey on both seabirds and open country birds, especially the Hawaiian goose, nēnē. However, feral dogs aren't all bad, because one of their favorite foods is rats.

   • 1993, Marion Coste, Nēnē (Kolowalu Book), Honolulu, Hi.: University of Hawaii Press, →ISBN, page 20:

     Scientists think the nēnē descended from Canada geese that landed on Hawai‘i long before humans arrived. As they survived on the isolated islands for generation after generation, the geese gradually changed, becoming a new species. Today's nēnē, unlike its water-loving ancestor, is a land bird.

   • 2004, Richard [Alan] Fortey, The Earth: An Intimate History, London: HarperCollins, →ISBN; republished London: Folio Society, 2011, →OCLC, page 37:

     The nene is a handsome bird that almost became extinct in the wild but was reintroduced successfully from ones bred in captivity.

   • 2011, Sara Benson, “Haleakala National Park”, in Maui: Must-do Hikes for Everyone (Top Trails), Birmingham, Ala.: Wilderness Press, →ISBN, page 197:

     Among the iconic flora and fauna found here are […] the endangered nene (Hawaiian goose). After almost going extinct, nene were reintroduced into the national park in 1962 when Boy Scouts carried geese that had been raised in captivity down into Haleakala volcano in their backpacks.

Further reading

• nene (bird) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• en- -en, neen

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nɛnɛ/

Noun

nene class III gender m

1. eye

Noun

nene

1. indefinite dative/ablative singular of nenë

Noun

nene

1. tongue

   nunene — my tongue

   nenehei — a tongue (any tongue in general)

References

• Alexandra Y[urievna] Aikhenvald (2012) The Languages of the Amazon, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN.

Noun

nene

1. baby

References

• Jessica Coon, Unergatives, antipassives, and roots in Chuj (2016), p. 24

Noun

nene

1. grandmother

Alternative forms

• hānene

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *nene (“orgasm, sensory pleasure”). Cognate with Rarotongan nene (“orgasm”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈne.ne/, [ˈnɛ.nɛ]

Verb

nene

1. (intransitive) to stir, to move

Adjective

nene

1. big , large
2. fat

Etymology

From French nez.

Noun

nene

1. nose

References

• Baker, Philip & Hookoomsing, Vinesh Y. 1987. Dictionnaire de créole mauricien. Morisyen – English – Français

Alternative forms

• nea

Etymology

Cf. Bulgarian неня (nenja), Serbo-Croatian nena.

Noun

nene m (uncountable)

1. (popular, familiar) Term used by children or young people to address an older man, especially an uncle.
2. (familiar) Term to address someone used in general to express disapproval, or surprise, sometimes satisfaction, etc.

Etymology

Onomatopoeic; compare niño (“boy”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnene/ [ˈne.ne]
• Rhymes: -ene
• Syllabification: ne‧ne

Noun

nene m or f (plural nenes, feminine nena, feminine plural nenas) (colloquial)

1. young child; kid; baby

   Coordinate term: niño

2. (familiar) babe; baby; kiddo (term of endearment for usually a male, female equivalent: nena)

Further reading

• “nene”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu [Term?].

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya):

  (file)

Adjective

-nene (declinable)

1. fat

Alternative forms

• nini

Etymology

Possibly a native word or borrowed from Spanish nene (“young child; kid; kiddo; baby; babe”). See also Japanese ねんね (nenne, “childish person (esp. a young woman); baby”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈneneʔ/ [ˈn̪ɛː.n̪ɛʔ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eneʔ
• Syllabification: ne‧ne

Noun

nenè (Baybayin spelling ᜈᜒᜈᜒ)

1. (endearing) appellation for a little girl

   Synonym: ineng

2. younger sister

Further reading

• “nene”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018

Alternative forms

• nene', nene’

Etymology

From Sinitic 奶奶 (ne³ne³, “grandmother”).

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ne‧ne

Noun

nene

1. grandmother (both paternal and maternal)

Noun

nene (definite accusative neneyi, plural neneler)

1. (colloquial) grandmother