Nanu: 16 definitions

Introduction
Languages
1. Pali
2. Marathi
3. Sanskrit
4. Prakrit
5. Kannada
See also

Introduction:

Nanu means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Buddhism, Pali, Marathi, Jainism, Prakrit. 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.

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)

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.

Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

nānū (नानू).—f n (nā 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.

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.

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.

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).

--- OR ---

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.

--- OR ---

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.

Relevant text

Search found 53 books and stories containing Nanu, Nānū, Na-nu, Ṇaṇu, Nāṇu, Nānu; (plurals include: Nanus, Nānūs, nus, Ṇaṇus, Nāṇus, Nānus). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

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