Hun en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
- /hʊn/ (Ireland, Northern-England)
- /hʌn/
Etymology
From Old English Hūnas, Hūne (both plural), from Late Latin Hunni, from Koine Greek Οὗννοι (Hoûnnoi), borrowed through Middle Iranian. Cognate with Old Norse húnir, Old High German Hunni. See also etymology of Xiongnu. Compare Sogdian 𐼶𐼴𐼻 (xwn), Sanskrit हूण (hūṇa), and 匈奴 (OC *hoŋ-nâ) (c. 318 BCE) > *hɨoŋ-nɑ (Eastern Han), which Schuessler (2014:264) proposes to be transcription of foreign *Hŏna ~ Hŭna. More at Huns. As a derogatory term for Germans popularized by Rudyard Kipling, reacting to Germany's proposal that the Royal Navy be used to collect debts from Venezuela.
Meanings
- A member of a nomadic tribe (the Huns) who invaded Europe in the fourth century from Central Asia.
- (figuratively) A vandal, a barbarian, an uncivilized destructive person.
-
(derogatory, ethnic, slang, slur) A German.
Doubtless the first German band to return to England will be composed of the most gentle peace and beer-loving Huns that ever visited our favoured shores.
1919, Gerald Featherstone Knight, Brother Bosch: An Airman's Escape from Germany:
- (Ireland, UK, derogatory, slang) A Protestant.
- (Ireland, UK, derogatory, slang) A Rangers Football Club supporter; an Orangeman.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huns | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Synonyms
Kraut · Orangeman · Proddy · orangie · Prod · Orangeman · Jerry · Fritz
Translations (36)
es huno (member of nomadic tribe) · la Hūnnī (member of nomadic tribe) · no hun (member of nomadic tribe) · fr Hun (member of nomadic tribe) · grc Χοῦννος (member of nomadic tribe) · it unno (member of nomadic tribe) · axm հոն (member of nomadic tribe) · ca hun (member of nomadic tribe) · nl Hun (member of nomadic tribe) · mn хүннү (member of nomadic tribe) · ang Hūne (member of nomadic tribe) · cs Hun (member of nomadic tribe) · nn hunar (member of nomadic tribe) · kk ғұн (member of nomadic tribe) · pt huno (member of nomadic tribe) · fa هون (member of nomadic tribe) · grc Οὗννος (member of nomadic tribe) · non húnir (member of nomadic tribe) · hy հոն (member of nomadic tribe) · cmn 匈人 (member of nomadic tribe) · la Chūnnī (member of nomadic tribe) · fo húni (member of nomadic tribe) · ja フン族 (member of nomadic tribe) · pl Hun (member of nomadic tribe) · sa हूण (member of nomadic tribe) · tr Hun (member of nomadic tribe) · nb huner (member of nomadic tribe) · goh Hunni (member of nomadic tribe) · hi हूण (member of nomadic tribe) · pl Hunka (member of nomadic tribe) · fi hunni (member of nomadic tribe) · de Hunne (member of nomadic tribe) · hu hun (member of nomadic tribe) · de Hunnin (member of nomadic tribe) · ru гунн (member of nomadic tribe) · el Ούννος (member of nomadic tribe)
wikidata: Q134313 · wikidata: Q42884 · wikidata: Q110714168 · wikidata: Q45813