Nanu: 19 definitions

Introduction:

Nanu means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Buddhism, Pali, the history of ancient India, Marathi, Jainism, Prakrit, Tamil. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

India history and geography

Source: archive.org: Glossary of Sinhalese Folk Terms appearing in the Service Tenure Register

Nanu:—Composition generally made of lime juice, and other acids for cleansing the hair. In temples it is made of different fragrant ingredients the chief of which is powdered sandal-wood.

India history book cover
context information

The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.

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Languages of India and abroad

Pali-English dictionary

Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionary

nanu : (ind.) (particle of affirmation) is it not? Certain; surely

Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English Dictionary

Nanu, (indecl.) (Ved. nanu) 1. part. of affirmation (cp. na1): surely, certainly Pv. II, 67 (so to be read for nanda? v. l. BB nuna); Manor. Pūr. on A. V, 194 (Andersen P. R. 91).—2. part. of interrogation (=Lat. nonne) “is it not” (cp. na2): J. I, 151; III, 393; DhA. I, 33. (Page 346)

Pali book cover
context information

Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.

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Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

nānū (नानू).—f n (or nāhīṃ No, not.) Hesitation, demurring, shilli-shalli, hemming and hawing.

Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English

nānū (नानू).—f n Hesitation.

context information

Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.

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Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Nanu (ननु).—ind. (Originally a combination of na and nu, now used as a separate word) A particle implying:--

1) Inquiry or interrogation; ननु समाप्तकृत्यो गौतमः (nanu samāptakṛtyo gautamaḥ) M.4.

2) Surely, certainly, indeed, is it not indeed (with an interrogative force); यदाऽमेधाविनी शिष्योपदेशं मलिनयति तदाचार्यस्य दोषो ननु (yadā'medhāvinī śiṣyopadeśaṃ malinayati tadācāryasya doṣo nanu) M.1.

3) Of course, indeed, certainly (avadhāraṇam); उपपन्नं ननु शिवं सप्तस्वङ्गेषु (upapannaṃ nanu śivaṃ saptasvaṅgeṣu) R.1.6; त्रिलोकनाथेन सदा मखद्विषस्त्वया नियम्या ननु दिव्यचक्षुषा (trilokanāthena sadā makhadviṣastvayā niyamyā nanu divyacakṣuṣā) 3.45.

4) It is used as a vocative particle meaning 'O', 'Oh',; ननु मानव (nanu mānava) Dk.; ननु मूर्खाः पठितमेव युष्माभिस्तत्काण्डे (nanu mūrkhāḥ paṭhitameva yuṣmābhistatkāṇḍe) Uttararāmacarita 4.

5) It is used in propitiatory expressions in the sense of 'pray', 'be pleased'; ननु मां प्रापय पत्युरन्तिकम् (nanu māṃ prāpaya patyurantikam) Kumārasambhava 4.32.

6) It is sometimes used as a corrective word like the English 'why' or 'I say'; ननु पदे परिवृत्य भण (nanu pade parivṛtya bhaṇa) Mṛcchakaṭika 5; ननु भणामि चिन्तित उपाय इति (nanu bhaṇāmi cintita upāya iti) V.2.; ननु भवानग्रतो मे वर्तते (nanu bhavānagrato me vartate) Ś.2; ननु विचिनोतु भवान् (nanu vicinotu bhavān) V.2.

7) In argumentative discussions ननु (nanu) is frequently used to head an objection or advance a contrary proposition (generally followed by ucyate); नन्वचेतनान्येव वृश्चिकादिशरीराणि अचेतनानां च गोमयादीनां कार्याणीति उच्यते (nanvacetanānyeva vṛścikādiśarīrāṇi acetanānāṃ ca gomayādīnāṃ kāryāṇīti ucyate) Ś.B.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Nanu (ननु).—ind. 1. A particle of interrogation, (how, what.) 2. Of affirmation, (certainly.) 3. Of assent. 4. A consolatory and kind expression. 5. A vocative particle, (ho, hola.) or one implying kindness, conciliation, (pray, good friend, &c.) 6. An inceptive particle, implying doubt or dissent, (may be, but, on the other hand.) 7. A responsive particle. 8. A particle of reproach. E. na negative, nud to send or command, affix ḍu .

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Nanu (ननु).—[na-nu], a particle of interrogation. 1. Not ([Latin] nonne), Mahābhārata 13, 313. 2. with an imperat., Do, [Śiśupālavadha] 9, 61. 3. Then, [Mṛcchakaṭikā, (ed. Stenzler.)] 174, 12.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Nanu (ननु).—[adverb] not, by no means, never; also [interrogative] = nonne, or affirm (±ca) = certainly, I suppose, I dare say etc.); [with] an imperat. = pray, do, just.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum

Nānū (नानू) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—son of Kālū, father of Dhārin, Bhagavāna, Mādhava. To the last of these Maheśa dedicated his Sadācāracandrodaya. L. 1779.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1) Nanu (ननु):—[=na-nu] [from na] a See nanu

2) [=na-nu] b ind. (2. na + nu) not, not at all, never, [Ṛg-veda; Atharva-veda]; (interr.) not? is it not? = nonne, [Atharva-veda; Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa] etc. etc. (hence often =) certainly, surely, indeed, no doubt ([especially] in questions amounting to an affirmation e.g. nanv ahaṃ te priyaḥ, am I not your friend id est. certainly I am your fr°, [Daśakumāra-carita] [so also na ca, there can be no doubt, [Pāṇini 2-3, 11; 29; Kāśikā-vṛtti]], or to a request e.g. nanu gacchāmi bhoḥ, surely I may go, [Pāṇini 8-1, 43; Kāśikā-vṛtti], and even as a responsive particle e.g. akārṣīḥ kaṭamnanu karomi bhoḥ, indeed I have made it, [ib.]; with another interr. or an [imperative] = pray, please e.g. nanu ko bhavān, pray who are you? [Mṛcchakaṭikā x, 48/49]; nanūcyatām, please tell, [ib. 52/53]; in argument often as an inceptive particle implying doubt or objection, ‘now it may be said, well, but then’ etc., [especially] in nanv astu, or nanu mā bhūt-tathāpi, well, be it so or not so-nevertheless)

3) [v.s. ...] a vocat. particle implying kindness or reproach or perplexity etc., [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

4) Nānū (नानू):—m. Name of a man, [Catalogue(s)]

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Nanu (ननु):—interj. How! what! certainly! ho! hola! lo! perhaps.

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)

Nanu (ननु) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Ṇaṇu.

[Sanskrit to German]

Nanu in German

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

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Prakrit-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary

Ṇaṇu (णणु) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Nanu.

context information

Prakrit is an ancient language closely associated with both Pali and Sanskrit. Jain literature is often composed in this language or sub-dialects, such as the Agamas and their commentaries which are written in Ardhamagadhi and Maharashtri Prakrit. The earliest extant texts can be dated to as early as the 4th century BCE although core portions might be older.

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Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Nāṇu (ನಾಣು):—

1) [noun] the embarrassment, shyness, bashfulness, diffidence that a woman sometimes feel in the presence of a man or men.

2) [noun] the quality or state of being modest; humble behaviour; modesty.

3) [noun] the organ of generation (of a man or woman).

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Nānu (ನಾನು):—

1) [verb] to become completely wet; to be soaked in (water or any other liquid).

2) [verb] (fig.) to become gentle, tender or softened in feeling by pity, sympathy, love, affection, etc.; to melt.

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Nānu (ನಾನು):—

1) [pronoun] (the nominative form of the first person) the person speaking or writing.

2) [pronoun] the self; the individual as self-aware.

3) [pronoun] egotism; conceit.

context information

Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

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Tamil dictionary

Source: DDSA: University of Madras: Tamil Lexicon

Nāṇu (நாணு) [nāṇutal] 5 intransitive verb [K. nāṇcu.]

1. To be shy; to feel bashful; to be embarrassed, as a woman; வெட்கப்படுதல். அஞ்ஞான்று கண்டேம் போ னாணுதுமால் [vedkappaduthal. ajnanru kandem po nanuthumal] (நாலடியார் [naladiyar], 385).

2. To be abashed; to shrink back, as from a forbidding sight; to feel repugnance or dislike; மனங்குன்றுதல். தகவு டையார் தாமேயு நாணித் தலைச்செல்லார் [manangunruthal. thagavu daiyar thameyu nanith thalaichellar] (நாலடியார் [naladiyar], 241).

3. To acquiesce or yield through regard; பயபத்தி காட்டுதல். [payapathi kattuthal.] (W.)

4. To shrink from the touch, as some plants; to yield, as disease to medicine; to be subdued, as snakes in proximity to certain roots; ஒன்றற்கு அடங்குதல். [onrarku adanguthal.] (W.)

5. To fear; அஞ்சுதல். தன்கட் பழமொழிிநாணுவானை [anchuthal. thankad pazhinanuvanai] (திருக்குறள் [thirukkural], 794).

6. To close, as flowers; குவிதல். பங்க யம்போ னாணி [kuvithal. panga yambo nani] (தஞ்சைவாணன் கோவை [thanchaivanan kovai] 210).

7. To be affected unfavourably, as some trees or plants by nearness to the tamarind; to be uncongenial to each other, as the red and white lotus; பிணங்குதல். [pinanguthal.] (J.)

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Nāṇu (நாணு) noun < நாணு-. [nanu-.] See நாணம். கருமத்தா னாணுத னாணு [nanam. karumatha nanutha nanu] (திருக்குறள் [thirukkural], 1011).

context information

Tamil is an ancient language of India from the Dravidian family spoken by roughly 250 million people mainly in southern India and Sri Lanka.

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Nepali dictionary

Source: unoes: Nepali-English Dictionary

Nānū (नानू):—n. affectionate term used to address a small baby daughter;

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Nepali is the primary language of the Nepalese people counting almost 20 million native speakers. The country of Nepal is situated in the Himalaya mountain range to the north of India.

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