nhim

== Macanese == === Alternative forms === nhi === Etymology === Possibly a diminutive of Portuguese menina, ultimately from Old Galician-Portuguese meninha, with possible metathesis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ɲiŋ/ === Noun === nhim (diminutive nhinina) girl (female child) formal address for young girls, single women and lowly women of a certain age: young lady, miss Coordinate term: siára ==== Usage notes ==== Both forms nhim and nhi are/were commonly used. === References === Batalha, Graciete Nogueira (1988), “nhi, nhim”, in Glossário do dialecto macaense: notas linguísticas, etnográficas e folclóricas [Glossary of the Macanese dialect: linguistic, ethnographic and folkloric notes], Macau: Instituto Cultural de Macau, page 493 https://www.macaneselibrary.org/pub/english/uipatua.htm#nhim