nhonha

== Macanese == === Etymology === Uncertain. Possibly from either: Malay nyonya or directly from below Hokkien 娘仔 (*niô͘-niá, “young lady”) with an older obsolete form of the diminutive suffix 仔 (á) as a weak form of 囝 (kiáⁿ) with the initial undergoing nasal assimilation from the previous syllable, because Hokkien syllables that start with nasal initials (e.g. /n-/, /ŋ-/, /m-/) tend to also allophonically have a nasalized rime or not, which for 娘 (niô͘, IPA: /niɔ̃/), it is indeed recorded to be nasalized even during the early 1600s. Portuguese dona (“noble lady; proprietress; housekeeper; governess; housewife”) or Portuguese senhora (“lady”) See also modern Hokkien 娘娘 (niô͘-niô͘, “lady”), 娘仔 (niô͘-á, “young lady”), 娘惹 (nō͘-niâ / niû-nia / niô͘-nia, “female peranakan”), Spanish doña (“lady”). === Noun === nhonha (plural nhonhonha) girl; young woman (married or single) Synonym: amui Coordinate term: nhum Nhonha canta. ― A girl sings. === References ===