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nun¹

(nŭn)

A woman who belongs to a religious order or congregation devoted to active service or meditation, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

[Middle English, from Old English nunne and from Old French nonne, both from Late Latin nonna, feminine of nonnus, tutor, monk.]

nun²

(nn)

The 14th letter of the Hebrew alphabet. See Table at alphabet.

[Mishnaic Hebrew nûn, of Phoenician origin; see nwn in the Appendix of Semitic roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices