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dun

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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From Middle English dun, donn, dunne, from Old English dunn (dun, dingy brown, bark-colored, brownish black), from Proto-West Germanic *duʀn, from Proto-Germanic *duznaz, *dusnaz (brown, yellow), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂- (to smoke, raise dust). Cognate with Old Saxon dun (brown, dark), Old High German tusin (ash-gray, dull brown, pale yellow, dark), Old Norse dunna (female mallard; duck).

Alternative etymology derives the Old English word from Brythonic (compare Middle Welsh dwnn (dark (red))), from Proto-Celtic *dusnos (compare Old Irish donn and Scottish Gaelic donn (brown)), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰews- (compare Old Saxon dosan (chestnut brown)). More at dusk.

Noun

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dun (usually uncountable, plural duns)

  1. A brownish grey colour.
    dun:  
    Synonym: claybank
Translations
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Adjective

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dun (not comparable)

  1. Of a brownish grey colour.
Translations
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Derived terms

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See also

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Etymology 2

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Unknown; perhaps a variant of din. Several sources suggest origin from Joe Dun, the name of a bailiff known for arresting debtors, but this is controversial.

Noun

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dun (plural duns)

  1. (countable) A collector of debts, especially one who is insistent and demanding.
    • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. [], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, [], →OCLC, pages 162–163:
      "The truth is, Mr. Curl, I cannot write when I am plagued about trifles; and a tiresome dun this morning put to flight every idea that I had in the world."
      "Mr. Maynard," said the bookseller, in a solemn tone, "it is very wrong to run in debt."
    • 1889 [1712], John Arbuthnot, The History of John Bull, London: Cassell & Co., →OCLC, page 71:
      Look ye, gentlemen, I have lived with credit in the world, and it grieves my heart never to stir out of my doors but to be pulled by the sleeve by some rascally dun or other.
    • 1933 January 9, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter XVIII, in Down and Out in Paris and London, London: Victor Gollancz [], →OCLC:
      Melancholy duns came looking for him at all hours.
    • 1970, John Glassco, Memoirs of Montparnasse, New York, published 2007, page 102:
      ‘Frank's worried about duns,’ she said as the butler went away.
  2. An urgent request or demand of payment.
    • 1842, A.B.G., “Errata”, in Evangelical Magazine and Gospel Advocate, volume 13, →OCLC, page 251:
      Miss Hoppin received a dun for volume 9 1840–1 which Mr. James McConnell, (who now pays the above) is sure was paid.
Translations
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Verb

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dun (third-person singular simple present duns, present participle dunning, simple past and past participle dunned)

  1. (transitive) To ask or beset a debtor for payment.
    • 1768, Jonathan Swift, The Works of Dr. Jonathan Swift, London: C. Bathurst, →OCLC, Miscellanies in Verse, page 309:
      And hath she sent so soon to dun?
    • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, [], →OCLC:
      Folio Society 1973, p. 577:
      Of all he had received from Lady Bellaston, not above five guineas remained and that very morning he had been dunned by a tradesman for twice that sum.
  2. (transitive) To harass by continually repeating e.g. a request.
Derived terms
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Translations
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Etymology 3

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Uncertain; likely from the color.

Noun

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dun (plural duns)

  1. (countable) A newly hatched, immature mayfly; a mayfly subimago.
    • 1966, John Harris, An Angler's Entomology, New York: Barnes, →OCLC, page 16:
      Also, duns are dull and generally sober colored, whilst spinners are more brightly colored and shining and their wings are clear and transparent.
  2. (countable, fishing) A fly made to resemble the mayfly subimago.
    • 1676, Charles Cotton, The Compleat Angler. Being Instructions how to Angle for a Trout or Grayling in a Clear Stream, London: Richard Marriott, and Henry Brome, →OCLC, March, page 59:
      We have besides for this Month a little Dun call'd a whirling Dun (though it is not the whirling Dun indeed, which is one of the best Flies we have) and for this the dubbing must be of the bottom fur of a Squirrels tail and the wing of the grey feather of a Drake.
Synonyms
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Translations
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Etymology 4

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From Irish dún or Scottish Gaelic dùn, from Proto-Celtic *dūnom (fortress). Cognate with Welsh dinas (city). Doublet of town.

Alternative forms

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Noun

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

dun (plural duns)

  1. An ancient or medieval fortification; especially a hill-fort in Scotland or Ireland.
    • 1858, Henry MacLauchlan, Memoir written during a survey of the Roman Wall, through the counties of Northumberland and Cumberland, in the years 1852-1854, London: Printed for private circulation, →OCLC, page 9:
      Pampedun, or Pandon, was probably a place of residence from the earliest times; its sheltered situation for boats, and proximity to the ancient way over the river, protected perhaps by a dun or camp, on the height above [...] possibly gave origin to the ancient name of the place, Pampedun, from the British pant, a hollow, and dun, a fort or camp, Pant-y-dun.
  2. (archaeology) A structure in the Orkney or Shetland islands or in Scotland consisting of a roundhouse surrounded by a circular wall; a broch.
    • 2013, T.J. Clarkson, The Makers of Scotland: Picts, Romans, Gaels and Vikings, Edinburgh: Birlinn, →ISBN:
      Smaller than the broch was the dun, another type of stone-built 'roundhouse'.

Etymology 5

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See do.

Verb

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dun

  1. (nonstandard, informal) Eye dialect spelling of done: past participle of do
    Now, ya dun it!
    • 1895 May, S.L.N. Foote, “Correspondence”, in International Journal of Medicine and Surgery[2], volume 8, retrieved 2016–10–13, page 194:
      ...a wise old lady exclaimed, "Why Mrs. M. warn't you orful skeerd wunst when you seed a dog fight? [...] an that ere big yaller dog bit orf your baby's hand that minit; in cors he dun it, so now that settles it."
    • 2001 April 1, Robert Frost, Poems by Robert Frost: A Boy's Will and North of Boston[3], Penguin, →ISBN, →OCLC:
      “Oh, Because I want their dollar.
      I don't want Anything they've not got. I never dun.
      I'm there, and they can pay me if they like.
      I go nowhere on purpose: I happen by.
      Sorry there is no cup to give you a drink. []
  2. (nonstandard, informal) Pronunciation spelling of don't: contraction of do + not.
    • 1901, Gilbert Parker, The Right of Way, New York and London: Harper, →OCLC:
      Fwhere's he come from, I dun'no'. French or English, I dun'no'. But a gintleman born, I know.

Etymology 6

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Likely from the color of fish so prepared.

Verb

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dun (third-person singular simple present duns, present participle dunning, simple past and past participle dunned)

  1. (transitive, dated) To cure, as codfish, by laying them, after salting, in a pile in a dark place, covered with saltgrass or a similar substance.
    • 1832, James Thacher, History of Plymouth; from its first settlement in 1620, to the year 1832, Boston: Marsh, Capen & Lyon, →OCLC, page 317:
      Dun-fish are of a superior quality for the table, and are cured in such a manner as to give them a dun or brownish color. Fish for dunning are caught early in spring, and sometimes February, at the Isle of Shoals.

Etymology 7

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See dune.

Noun

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dun (plural duns)

  1. A mound or small hill.

Etymology 8

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Imitative.

Interjection

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dun

  1. Imitating a deep bass note, such as that found in suspenseful music.
    • 2009, Carrie Tucker, I Love Geeks: The Official Handbook, Avon, Massachusetts: Adams Media, →ISBN:
      How would you deal with that power? (Dun, dun, DUN! Insert dramatic music here.)
    • 2015, Lisa Dombrowski, The Films of Samuel Fuller: If You Die, I’ll Kill You, page 113:
      Dun, dun! Dun, dun! As the music continues, the long shot of Griff's walk is broken down into repeating tight shots of his face, his legs, and his shifting point of view of Brockie.
    • 2016, Helen Russell, Leap Year: How small steps can make a giant difference:
      'DUN DUN DUN DUN-DUN-DUN-DUN! DUN DUN DUN DUNDUN-DUN-DUN... PRESSURE!' By 2.05 a.m. I am Very Awake Indeed and the catastrophising continues.
    • 2020, Spencer Hamilton, The Fear: A Pandemic Horror Novel:
      Whenever that iconic riff in the score cued up—Dun dun ... dun dun ... dun dun dun dun dun-dun-dun-dun ... —Jack's heart would race, and she'd feel the fear on her skin.
Derived terms
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Etymology 9

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Noun

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dun (plural duns)

  1. Alternative form of dhoon (Himalayan valley)

See also

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etymologically unrelated terms

References

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Anagrams

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Asturian

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Etymology

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From Latin dum.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈdun/, [ˈd̪ũŋ]
  • Rhymes: -uŋ
  • Hyphenation: dun

Adverb

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dun

  1. (literary or archaic) meanwhile, in the mean time
    Synonyms: mentes, demientres, mentanto

Contraction

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dun m (feminine duna, neuter duno, masculine plural dunos, feminine plural dunes)

  1. (obsolete) in a (modern d'un)

References

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  • “dun” in Diccionario general de la lengua asturiana. Xosé Lluis García Arias. →ISBN.

Bambara

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Pronunciation

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Verb

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dun

  1. to eat

References

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Basque

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /dun/ [d̪ũn]
  • Rhymes: -un
  • Hyphenation: dun

Verb

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dun

  1. Informal second-person singular feminine (hik), taking third-person singular (hura) as direct object, present indicative form of izan.
  2. Feminine allocutive form of da.

Usage notes

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Linguistically, this verb form can be seen as belonging to the reconstructed citation form edun instead of izan.

Danish

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Etymology

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From Old Norse dúnn (down). Related to dyne.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /duːn/, [d̥uːˀn]

Noun

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dun n (singular definite dunet, plural indefinite dun)

  1. down (soft, immature feathers)

Inflection

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See also

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Dutch

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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From Middle Dutch dunne, from Old Dutch *thunni, from Proto-West Germanic *þunnī, from Proto-Germanic *þunnuz. Cognate with English thin (Compare West-Flemish thinne).

Adjective

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dun (comparative dunner, superlative dunst)

  1. thin, slender
  2. sparse
  3. (liquid) runny
Declension
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Declension of dun
uninflected dun
inflected dunne
comparative dunner
positive comparative superlative
predicative/adverbial dun dunner het dunst
het dunste
indefinite m./f. sing. dunne dunnere dunste
n. sing. dun dunner dunste
plural dunne dunnere dunste
definite dunne dunnere dunste
partitive duns dunners
Antonyms
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Derived terms
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Descendants
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  • Afrikaans: dun
  • Berbice Creole Dutch: doni
  • Negerhollands: dun, din
  • Aukan: deni, doin

Etymology 2

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See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

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dun

  1. inflection of dunnen:
    1. first-person singular present indicative
    2. (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
    3. imperative

Galician

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Etymology

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From de (of) + un (masculine singular indefinite article).

Contraction

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dun m (feminine dunha, masculine plural duns, feminine plural dunhas)

  1. Contraction of de un. From a; of a

Further reading

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German

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Low German duun.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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dun (strong nominative masculine singular duner, comparative duner, superlative am dunsten)

  1. (colloquial, chiefly Northern Germany) drunk
    • 1998, “Du (äh, Du)”, in Power, performed by Fischmob:
      Ich war dun die Nacht
      Und hatte mit chemischen Drogen aus Amerika herumexperimentiert
      Bis ich das Bewußtsein verlor
      I was drunk that night / and had experimented with synthetic drugs from America / until I lost consciousness

Declension

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Further reading

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  • dun” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
  • dun” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
  • dun” in Duden online

Hunsrik

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Etymology

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    From Central Franconian dun, from Middle High German duon, from Old High German duon, from Proto-West Germanic *dōn, from Proto-Germanic *dōną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-.[1]

    Cognate with German tun, Kölsch dunn and Luxembourgish doen.

    Pronunciation

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    Verb

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    dun

    1. (auxiliary) will; to be going to; forms the future tense [with infinitive]
      Ich dun das mache.
      I will do that.
    2. (auxiliary) to be; forms the progressive aspect [with infinitive]
      Was dun-se mache.
      What are they doing.
    3. (transitive) to put, to place, to add [with accusative]
      Synonym: stelle
      Du mol en bissje Eis in de Suco.
      Put some ice in the juice.
    4. (intransitive) to do [with accusative]
      Heit hon-ich nichs se dun.
      I have nothing to do today.

    Conjugation

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    Irregular with conditional mood
    infinitive dun
    participle gedun
    auxiliary hon
    present
    indicative
    conditional imperative
    ich dun däd
    du dust däst du
    er/sie/es dud däd
    meer dun däde
    deer dud däd dud
    sie dun däde
    The use of the present participle is uncommon, but can be made with the suffix -end.

    Derived terms

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    References

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    1. ^ Piter Kehoma Boll (2021) “dun”, in Dicionário Hunsriqueano Riograndense–Português (in Portuguese), 3rd edition, Ivoti: Riograndenser Hunsrickisch, page 39, column 2

    Kiput

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    Etymology

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    From Proto-North Sarawak *daqun, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *dahun (compare Malay daun).

    Noun

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    dun

    1. leaf

    Mandarin

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    Romanization

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    dun

    1. Nonstandard spelling of dūn.
    2. Nonstandard spelling of dǔn.
    3. Nonstandard spelling of dùn.

    Usage notes

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    • Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

    Norwegian Bokmål

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    Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:
    Wikipedia no

    Etymology

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    From Old Norse dúnn.

    Noun

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    dun f or m (definite singular duna or dunen, indefinite plural duner, definite plural dunene)
    dun n (definite singular dunet, indefinite plural dun, definite plural duna or dunene)

    1. down (soft, fine fluffy feathers)

    References

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    Norwegian Nynorsk

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    Norwegian Nynorsk Wikipedia has an article on:
    Wikipedia nn

    Etymology

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    From Old Norse dúnn m.

    Noun

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    dun f or n (definite singular duna or dunet, indefinite plural duner or dun, definite plural dunene or duna)

    1. down (soft, fine fluffy feathers)

    References

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    Old English

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    Etymology

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    From Proto-West Germanic *dūnu, *dūnā (sand dune), possibly from Proto-Germanic *dūnaz (heap, pile), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂- (to smoke, fume, raise dust); or alternatively a late borrowing from Proto-Celtic *dūnom from the same Proto-Indo-European source.

    Pronunciation

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    Noun

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    dūn f

    1. hill, mountain
      • Old English Heptateuch, Genesis 22:2
        "Nim þīnne āncennedan sunu Īsaac, þe þū lufast, and far tō þām lande Visionis hraþe, and ġeoffra hine þǣr uppan ānre dūne."
        "Take your only-begotten son Isaac, whom you love, and quickly go to the land of Visionis, and sacrifice him there upon a mountain."

    Declension

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    Strong ō-stem:

    singular plural
    nominative dūn dūna, dūne
    accusative dūne dūna, dūne
    genitive dūne dūna
    dative dūne dūnum

    Derived terms

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    Descendants

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    Old French

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    Etymology

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    From Latin donum.

    Pronunciation

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    Noun

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    dun oblique singularm (oblique plural duns, nominative singular duns, nominative plural dun)

    1. (Anglo-Norman) Alternative form of don
      • c. 1150, Turoldus, La Chanson de Roland:
        E tute Espaigne tendrat par vostre dun
        And all of Spain he will hold as your gift

    Old Irish

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    Article

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    dun

    1. Alternative form of don (to/for the)

    Sranan Tongo

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    Etymology

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    Probably from Ewe dūn (stare, unmoving gaze).[1]

    Ideophone

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    dun

    1. Signifies astonishment, bewilderment, stupefaction

    References

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    1. ^ Norval Smith (2009) “A preliminary list of probable Gbe lexical items in the Surinam Creoles”, in P. Muysken, N. Smith, editors, Surviving the Middle Passage: The West Africa-Surinam Sprachbund, Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton, →ISBN, page 466.

    Swedish

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    Etymology

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    From Old Norse dúnn (down).

    Pronunciation

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    Noun

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    dun n

    1. down (soft, fine fluffy feathers)

    Declension

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    References

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    Volapük

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    Etymology

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    Blend of English do and German tun (to do).

    Pronunciation

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    Noun

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    dun (nominative plural duns)

    1. deed, action, act, doing
      Synonym: dunam

    Declension

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    Derived terms

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    Welsh

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    Pronunciation

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    Noun

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    dun

    1. Soft mutation of tun (tin).

    Mutation

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    Mutated forms of tun
    radical soft nasal aspirate
    tun dun nhun thun

    Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
    All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

    Wolof

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    Noun

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    dun (definite form dun bi)

    1. island

    Yoruba

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    Etymology 1

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    Cognates include Itsekiri yọ̀n, Olukumi yọ̀n, Ifè ɖɔ̃̀. Likely from the same root as yọ̀n and the /y/ alternatives.

    Pronunciation

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    Verb

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    dùn

    1. to be sweet, to be pleasant
    Usage notes
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    • it induces a high tone syllable when followed by another verb, becoming dùn-ún and subcategorizes an embedded clause.
    Synonyms
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    Yoruba Varieties and Languages - dùn (to be sweet)
    view map; edit data
    Language FamilyVariety GroupVariety/LanguageLocationWords
    Proto-Itsekiri-SEYSoutheast YorubaÀoÌdóàníyàn
    ÌdànrèÌdànrèyùn
    Ìjẹ̀búÌjẹ̀bú Òdeyùn
    Ìkòròdúyùn
    Ṣágámùyùn
    Ẹ̀pẹ́yùn
    Ìkálẹ̀Òkìtìpupayọ̀n
    ÌlàjẹMahinyọ̀n
    OǹdóOǹdóyọ̀n
    Ọ̀wọ̀Ọ̀wọ̀yọ̀n
    ÌtsẹkírìÌwẹrẹyọ̀n
    OlùkùmiUgbódùyọ̀n
    Proto-YorubaCentral YorubaÈkìtìÀdó Èkìtìyụ̀n, dụ̀n
    Àkúrẹ́yụ̀n, dụ̀n
    Ọ̀tùn Èkìtìyụ̀n, dụ̀n
    Northwest YorubaÀwórìÈbúté Mẹ́tàdùn
    ÈkóÈkódùn
    ÌbàdànÌbàdàndùn
    ÌlọrinÌlọrindùn
    OǹkóÌtẹ̀síwájú LGAdọ̀n
    Ìwàjówà LGAdọ̀n
    Kájọlà LGAdùn
    Ìsẹ́yìn LGAdọ̀n
    Ṣakí West LGAdọ̀n
    Atisbo LGAdùn
    Ọlọ́runṣògo LGAdùn
    Ọ̀yọ́Ọ̀yọ́dùn
    Standard YorùbáNàìjíríàdùn
    Bɛ̀nɛ̀dùn
    Northeast Yoruba/OkunÌyàgbàYàgbà East LGAdùn
    OwéKabbadùn
    Ede Languages/Southwest YorubaIfɛ̀Akpáréɖɔ̃̀
    Atakpaméɖɔ̃̀
    Tchettiɖɔ̃̀
    Note: This amalgamation of terms comes from a number of different academic papers focused on the unique varieties and languages spoken in the Yoruboid dialectal continuum which extends from eastern Togo to southern Nigeria. The terms for spoken varieties, now deemed dialects of Yorùbá in Nigeria (i.e. Southeast Yorùbá, Northwest Yorùbá, Central Yorùbá, and Northeast Yorùbá), have converged with those of Standard Yorùbá leading to the creation of what can be labeled Common Yorùbá (Funṣọ Akere, 1977). It can be assumed that the Standard Yorùbá term can also be used in most Nigerian varieties alongside native terms, especially amongst younger speakers. This does not apply to the other Nigerian Yoruboid languages of Ìṣẹkírì and Olùkùmi, nor the Èdè Languages of Benin and Togo.
    Derived terms
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    Etymology 2

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    Pronunciation

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    Verb

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    dùn

    1. to hurt, to be painful (physically)
      egbò ń dùnThe ulcer is hurting me
    2. to be painful (mentally)
      ó dùn mí pé ó kúIt pained me that she died
    Usage notes
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    • dun before a direct object
    Derived terms
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    Etymology 3

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    Pronunciation

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    Verb

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    dún

    1. (transitive) to emit a sound
      ẹyẹ yìí dúnThis bird made a sound
    Derived terms
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