ну

See also: њу, and Appendix:Variations of "ny"

Belarusian

Alternative forms

• nu — Łacinka (Belarusian Latin alphabet)

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *nъ, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *nu, from Proto-Indo-European *nu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [nu]
• Rhymes: -u

Interjection

ну • (nu)

1. well, so (used in encouragements or discouragements, or as a filled pause)

   ну і ідзі сабе́ дале́й ― nu i idzi sabjé daljéj ― well, move on

2. with і (i) or ж (ž): what ...!, what a...!, that's quite a...! (expresses disbelief)

   ну і дзянёк! ― nu i dzjanjók! ― quite a day!

Particle

ну • (nu)

1. so, therefore (used in the beginning of summarising sentences)

   ну во́сь і усё ― nu vósʹ i usjó ― that's all there is to it

2. well?, so? (general-purpose question, an encouragement for the interlocutor to continue speaking)
3. (colloquial) yeah, yep

   Synonyms: але́ (aljé), так (tak)

References

• “ну” in Belarusian–Russian dictionaries and Belarusian dictionaries at slounik.org
• Martynaŭ, V. U., editor (1993), “ну”, in Этымалагічны слоўнік беларускай мовы (in Belarusian), volumes 8 (не́марач – пая́ць), Minsk: Navuka i technika, →ISBN, page 46

Russian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *nu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [nu]

• Audio:

  (file)

Interjection

ну • (nu)

1. well

   Ну! ― Nu! ― Well! (indicating surprise and a little disbelief)

   Ну что ж? ― Nu što ž? ― So what now?

   Ну так что́ же? ― Nu tak štó že? ― So what is it?

   Да ну́! ― Da nú! ― No/I don't need it/I don't want to!

   Да ну?! ― Da nu?! ― Really?!

   • 1880, Михаил Салтыков-Щедрин, “Племяннушка”, in Господа Головлёвы; English translation from I. P. Foote, transl., The Golovlevs, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986:

     — Мне немного надо! — говорил он, — курочка есть? — ну, супцу из курочки сварите! Может быть, солонинка есть — солонинки кусочек приготовьте! Жарковца какого-нибудь… вот я и сыт!

     — Mne nemnogo nado! — govoril on, — kuročka jestʹ? — nu, supcu iz kuročki svarite! Možet bytʹ, soloninka jestʹ — soloninki kusoček prigotovʹte! Žarkovca kakovo-nibudʹ… vot ja i syt!

     ‘It’s little enough I need!’ he said. ‘Is there chicken? – well, make a little chicken broth! Perhaps there’s salt beef? – then do a bit of salt beef! And a roast of some sort – for me that will suffice!’

Descendants

• → Hebrew: נוּ
• → Ingrian: nu
• → Latvian: nu
• → Lithuanian: nu
• → Yiddish: נו (nu)

Adverb

ну • (nu)

1. (colloquial) yeah, yep (impolite, sometimes implying a question - so what?)

   Ты э́то чита́л? — Ну, и? ― Ty éto čitál? — Nu, i? ― Have you read this? - Yeah, so what?

Further reading

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “ну”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка (in Russian), Moscow: Progress

Sirenik

Noun

нӯ (transliteration needed)

1. son

References

• G. A. Menovschikov (1964) Язык сиреникских эскимосов‎^[1], Академия Наук СССР, page 192