# gnu
## English
### Etymology

Borrowed from Khoekhoe ǃnu:, likely onomatopoeic of the grunt-type noise of the gnu.

### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /njuː/
* (UK) IPA: /njuː/, /ɡəˈnuː/, /ɡəˈnjuː/
** Audio (Southern England):(file)
* (US) IPA: /nuː/, /njuː/
* Homophones: new, nu, knew, GNU (UK)
* Rhymes: -uː

### Noun

gnu (plural gnus or gnu)
* A large antelope of the genus Connochaetes, native to Africa, having curved horns.
    Synonym: wildebeest

#### Usage notes

* Pronunciation with initial /ɡ/ popularized as a joke, in particular through the song “The Gnu”.

#### Derived terms

* gnu goat

#### Translations
### References

* 1 2 “gnu”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
* ↑ Sue Butler (2020) “False patterns in English spelling”, in Rebel Without A Clause‎, Macmillan, →ISBN: “The pronunciation [guh-noo] was popularised as a joke until we all heard that pronunciation so often that it seemed more familiar than [nu].”
* ↑ Flanders and Swann (lyrics and music) (1957) “The Gnu”: “If the animal in question hadn't put that chap to shame / And remarked "I h'ain't a h'elk, I'm a g-nu"”

### Further reading

* gnu on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
* “gnu”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

### Anagrams

* Ung, gun, NGU, Gun, UNG, nug, Ngu, NGu

## Danish
### Etymology

From German Gnu, from Afrikaans ghnoe, from Bantu.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ɡnuː/, [ɡ̊nuːˀ]

### Noun

gnu c (singular definite gnuen, plural indefinite gnuer)
* gnu, wildebeest

#### Inflection
## Finnish
### Alternative forms

* gnuu

### Etymology

Borrowed from German Gnu, from Khoekhoe !nu:.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈɡnu(ː)/, [ˈɡnu(ː)]
* Rhymes: -u
* Hyphenation: gnu

### Noun

gnu
* gnu, wildebeest (either of the two species of antelope in the genus Connochaetes)
    Hyponyms: juovagnu, valkohäntägnu

#### Declension

Possessive forms of gnu (Kotus type 21/rosé, no gradation) :
first-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
gnuni
gnuni
accusative
nom.
gnuni
gnuni
gen.
gnuni
genitive
gnuni
gnuideni gnuitteni
partitive
gnutani
gnuitani
inessive
gnussani
gnuissani
elative
gnustani
gnuistani
illative
gnuhuni
gnuihini
adessive
gnullani
gnuillani
ablative
gnultani
gnuiltani
allative
gnulleni
gnuilleni
essive
gnunani
gnuinani
translative
gnukseni
gnuikseni
abessive
gnuttani
gnuittani
instructive
comitative
—gnuineni
second-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
gnusi
gnusi
accusative
nom.
gnusi
gnusi
gen.
gnusi
genitive
gnusi
gnuidesi gnuittesi
partitive
gnutasi
gnuitasi
inessive
gnussasi
gnuissasi
elative
gnustasi
gnuistasi
illative
gnuhusi
gnuihisi
adessive
gnullasi
gnuillasi
ablative
gnultasi
gnuiltasi
allative
gnullesi
gnuillesi
essive
gnunasi
gnuinasi
translative
gnuksesi
gnuiksesi
abessive
gnuttasi
gnuittasi
instructive
comitative
—gnuinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
gnumme
gnumme
accusative
nom.
gnumme
gnumme
gen.
gnumme
genitive
gnumme
gnuidemme gnuittemme
partitive
gnutamme
gnuitamme
inessive
gnussamme
gnuissamme
elative
gnustamme
gnuistamme
illative
gnuhumme
gnuihimme
adessive
gnullamme
gnuillamme
ablative
gnultamme
gnuiltamme
allative
gnullemme
gnuillemme
essive
gnunamme
gnuinamme
translative
gnuksemme
gnuiksemme
abessive
gnuttamme
gnuittamme
instructive
comitative
—gnuinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
gnunne
gnunne
accusative
nom.
gnunne
gnunne
gen.
gnunne
genitive
gnunne
gnuidenne gnuittenne
partitive
gnutanne
gnuitanne
inessive
gnussanne
gnuissanne
elative
gnustanne
gnuistanne
illative
gnuhunne
gnuihinne
adessive
gnullanne
gnuillanne
ablative
gnultanne
gnuiltanne
allative
gnullenne
gnuillenne
essive
gnunanne
gnuinanne
translative
gnuksenne
gnuiksenne
abessive
gnuttanne
gnuittanne
instructive
comitative
—gnuinenne
third-person possessor
singular
plural
nominative
gnunsa
gnunsa
accusative
nom.
gnunsa
gnunsa
gen.
gnunsa
genitive
gnunsa
gnuidensa gnuittensa
partitive
gnutaan gnutansa
gnuitaan gnuitansa
inessive
gnussaan gnussansa
gnuissaan gnuissansa
elative
gnustaan gnustansa
gnuistaan gnuistansa
illative
gnuhunsa
gnuihinsa
adessive
gnullaan gnullansa
gnuillaan gnuillansa
ablative
gnultaan gnultansa
gnuiltaan gnuiltansa
allative
gnulleen gnullensa
gnuilleen gnuillensa
essive
gnunaan gnunansa
gnuinaan gnuinansa
translative
gnukseen gnuksensa
gnuikseen gnuiksensa
abessive
gnuttaan gnuttansa
gnuittaan gnuittansa
instructive
comitative
—gnuineen gnuinensa :

#### Derived terms

* gnuantilooppi
* juovagnu (“Connochaetes taurinus, blue wildebeest, brindled gnu”)
* valkohäntägnu (“Connochaetes gnou, black wildebeest, white-tailed gnu”)

## Italian
### Etymology

Borrowed from French gnou, from Khoekhoe ǃnu:, likely onomatopoeic in origin.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: $^*$/ˈɲu/$^*$
* Rhymes: -u
* Hyphenation: gnù

### Noun

gnu m (invariable)
* gnu
* wildebeest, kokoon

#### Derived terms

* gnu azzurro
* gnu dalla coda bianca
* gnu nero
* gnu striato

### References

* ↑ gnu in Luciano Canepari, Dizionario di Pronuncia Italiana (DiPI)

### Further reading

* gnu in Collins Italian-English Dictionary
* gnu in Aldo Gabrielli, Grandi Dizionario Italiano (Hoepli)
* gnu in garzantilinguistica.it – Garzanti Linguistica, De Agostini Scuola Spa
* gnu in Dizionario Italiano Olivetti, Olivetti Media Communication
* gnu in sapere.it – De Agostini Editore
* gnu in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

## Norwegian Bokmål
### Etymology

From an African language, via German Gnu.

### Noun

gnu m (definite singular gnuen, indefinite plural gnuer, definite plural gnuene)
* a gnu or wildebeest (large antelope)

### References

* “gnu” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

## Norwegian Nynorsk
### Etymology 1

From German Gnu, from Afrikaans ghnoe. Ultimately Khoekhoe.

#### Noun

gnu m (definite singular gnuen, indefinite plural gnuar, definite plural gnuane)
* a gnu or wildebeest (large antelope)

### Etymology 2

From Old Norse gnúa. Cognate with Icelandic núa.

#### Verb

gnu (present tense gnur, past tense gnudde, past participle gnutt/gnudd, passive infinitive gnuast, present participle gnuande, imperative gnu)
* (transitive) to rub hard
* (transitive) to compress, crush
* (intransitive) to work hard and evenly
* (intransitive) to nag

### References

* “gnu” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

### Anagrams

* ung

## Polish
### Etymology

Borrowed from German Gnu.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈɡnu/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -u
* Syllabification: gnu

### Noun

gnu n or f (indeclinable)
* gnu, wildebeest (any antelope of the genus Connochaetes)
    Synonym: antylopa gnu

### Further reading

* gnu in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
* gnu in Polish dictionaries at PWN

## Portuguese
### Etymology

Borrowed from French gnou.

### Pronunciation

* (Brazil) IPA: /ɡiˈnu/, /ˈɡnu/
* (Brazil) IPA: /ɡiˈnu/, /ˈɡnu/
** (Southern Brazil) IPA: /ˈɡnu/, /ɡiˈnu/
* (Portugal) IPA: /ˈɡnu/, /ɡɨˈnu/
* Rhymes: -u
* Hyphenation: gnu

### Noun

gnu m (plural gnus)
* gnu

### References

* ↑ “gnu”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2025
* ↑ “gnu”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from French gnou.

### Noun

gnu m (uncountable)
* gnu, wildebeest