Wiktionary

dun

See also: Appendix:Variations of "dun"

English edit

 
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Pronunciation edit

Etymology 1 edit

From Middle English dun, dunne, from Old English dunn (“dun, dingy brown, bark-colored, brownish black”), from Proto-Germanic *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), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰews- (compare Old Saxon dosan (“chestnut brown”)). More at dusk.

Noun edit

dun (usually uncountable, plural duns)

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

Adjective edit

dun (not comparable)

  1. Of a brownish grey colour.
Translations edit

Derived terms edit

See also edit

Etymology 2 edit

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 edit

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 edit

Verb edit

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, volumes (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 edit
Translations edit

Etymology 3 edit

Uncertain; likely from the color.

Noun edit

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 edit
Translations edit

Etymology 4 edit

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

Alternative forms edit

Noun edit

 
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

dun (plural duns)

  2. 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.
  3. (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 edit

See do.

Verb edit

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[3], 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[4], 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 edit

Likely from the color of fish so prepared.

Verb edit

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 edit

See dune.

Noun edit

dun (plural duns)

  1. A mound or small hill.

Etymology 8 edit

Imitative.

Interjection edit

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 edit

Etymology 9 edit

Noun edit

dun (plural duns)

  1. Alternative form of dhoon (“Himalayan valley”)

See also edit

etymologically unrelated terms

References edit

Anagrams edit

Bambara edit

Pronunciation edit

Verb edit

dun

  1. to eat

References edit

Basque edit

Pronunciation edit

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

Verb edit

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 edit

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

Danish edit

Etymology edit

From Old Norse dúnn (“down”).

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /duːn/, [d̥uːˀn]

Noun edit

dun n (singular definite dunet, plural indefinite dun)

  1. down (soft, immature feathers)

Inflection edit

Declension of dun
neuter
gender 		Singular Plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative dun dunet dun dunene
genitive duns dunets duns dunenes

See also edit

Dutch edit

Pronunciation edit

Etymology 1 edit

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 edit

dun (comparative dunner, superlative dunst)

  1. thin, slender
  2. sparse
  3. (liquid) runny
Inflection edit
Inflection 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 edit
Derived terms edit
Descendants edit
  • Afrikaans: dun
  • Berbice Creole Dutch: doni
  • Negerhollands: dun, din
  • → Aukan: deni, doin

Etymology 2 edit

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb edit

dun

  1. inflection of dunnen:
    1. first-person singular present indicative
    2. imperative

Galician edit

Etymology edit

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

Contraction edit

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

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

Further reading edit

German edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Low German duun.

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

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 edit

Positive forms of dun
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist dun sie ist dun es ist dun sie sind dun
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative duner dune dunes dune
genitive dunen duner dunen duner
dative dunem duner dunem dunen
accusative dunen dune dunes dune
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der dune die dune das dune die dunen
genitive des dunen der dunen des dunen der dunen
dative dem dunen der dunen dem dunen den dunen
accusative den dunen die dune das dune die dunen
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein duner eine dune ein dunes (keine) dunen
genitive eines dunen einer dunen eines dunen (keiner) dunen
dative einem dunen einer dunen einem dunen (keinen) dunen
accusative einen dunen eine dune ein dunes (keine) dunen
Comparative forms of dun
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist duner sie ist duner es ist duner sie sind duner
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative dunerer dunere duneres dunere
genitive duneren dunerer duneren dunerer
dative dunerem dunerer dunerem duneren
accusative duneren dunere duneres dunere
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der dunere die dunere das dunere die duneren
genitive des duneren der duneren des duneren der duneren
dative dem duneren der duneren dem duneren den duneren
accusative den duneren die dunere das dunere die duneren
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein dunerer eine dunere ein duneres (keine) duneren
genitive eines duneren einer duneren eines duneren (keiner) duneren
dative einem duneren einer duneren einem duneren (keinen) duneren
accusative einen duneren eine dunere ein duneres (keine) duneren
Superlative forms of dun
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist am dunsten sie ist am dunsten es ist am dunsten sie sind am dunsten
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative dunster dunste dunstes dunste
genitive dunsten dunster dunsten dunster
dative dunstem dunster dunstem dunsten
accusative dunsten dunste dunstes dunste
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der dunste die dunste das dunste die dunsten
genitive des dunsten der dunsten des dunsten der dunsten
dative dem dunsten der dunsten dem dunsten den dunsten
accusative den dunsten die dunste das dunste die dunsten
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein dunster eine dunste ein dunstes (keine) dunsten
genitive eines dunsten einer dunsten eines dunsten (keiner) dunsten
dative einem dunsten einer dunsten einem dunsten (keinen) dunsten
accusative einen dunsten eine dunste ein dunstes (keine) dunsten

Further reading edit

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

Hunsrik edit

Etymology edit

Inherited 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 edit

Verb edit

dun

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

Conjugation edit

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 edit

References edit

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

Kiput edit

Etymology edit

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

Noun edit

dun

  1. leaf

Mandarin edit

Romanization edit

dun

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

Usage notes edit

  • 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 edit

 
Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia no

Etymology edit

From Old Norse dúnn.

Noun edit

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 edit

Norwegian Nynorsk edit

 
Norwegian Nynorsk Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia nn

Etymology edit

From Old Norse dúnn m.

Noun edit

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 edit

Old English edit

Etymology edit

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 edit

Noun edit

dūn f

  1. hill, mountain

Declension edit

Declension of dun (strong ō-stem)
Case Singular Plural
nominative dūn dūna, dūne
accusative dūne dūna, dūne
genitive dūne dūna
dative dūne dūnum

Derived terms edit

Descendants edit

Old French edit

Etymology edit

From Latin donum.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

dun oblique singular, m (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 edit

Article edit

dun

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

Swedish edit

Etymology edit

From Old Norse dúnn (“down”).

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

dun n

  1. down (soft, fine fluffy feathers)

Declension edit

Declension of dun 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative dun dunet dun dunen
Genitive duns dunets duns dunens

Related terms edit

References edit

Volapük edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from German tun and English do.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

dun (nominative plural duns)

  1. deed, action, act, doing

Declension edit

declension of dun
singular plural
nominative dun duns
genitive duna dunas
dative dune dunes
accusative duni dunis
vocative 1 o dun! o duns!
predicative 2 dunu dunus
  • 1 status as a case is disputed
  • 2 in later, non-classical Volapük only

Derived terms edit

Welsh edit

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

dun

  1. Soft mutation of tun (“tin”).

Mutation edit

Welsh mutation
radical soft nasal aspirate
tun dun nhun thun
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Wolof edit

Noun edit

dun (definite form dun bi)

  1. island

Yoruba edit

Etymology 1 edit

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

Pronunciation edit

Verb edit

dùn

  1. to be sweet, to be pleasant
Usage notes edit
  • it induces a high tone syllable when followed by another verb, becoming dùn-ún and subcategorizes an embedded clause.
Synonyms edit
Yoruba varieties (to be sweet)
Language Family Variety Group Variety Words
Proto-Itsekiri-SEY Southeast Yoruba Ìdànrè yùn
Ìjẹ̀bú yùn
Ìkálẹ̀ yọ̀n
Ìlàjẹ yọ̀n
Oǹdó yọ̀n
Ọ̀wọ̀ yọ̀n
Usẹn -
Proto-Yoruba Central Yoruba Èkìtì yụ̀n, dụ̀n
Ifẹ̀ -
Ìgbómìnà -
Ìjẹ̀ṣà -
Western Àkókó -
Northwest Yoruba Àwórì -
Ẹ̀gbá -
Ìbàdàn dùn
Òǹkò dọ̀n, dùn
Ọ̀yọ́ dùn
Standard Yorùbá dùn
Northeast Yoruba/Okun Ìbùnú -
Ìjùmú -
Ìyàgbà dùn
Owé dùn
Ọ̀wọ̀rọ̀ -
Derived terms edit

Etymology 2 edit

Pronunciation edit

Verb edit

dùn

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

Etymology 3 edit

Pronunciation edit

Verb edit

dún

  1. (transitive) to emit a sound
    ẹyẹ yìí dún ― This bird made a sound
Derived terms edit
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