Where does “nonna” come from?
nonna (Dutch) comes from Malay nyonya, from Portuguese dona, from Old Portuguese dona, from Late Latin domna, from Latin domina, from Latin Dominus, from Latin domus, from Proto-Italic domos — to build; to arrange, to put together.
nonna (Dutch): a (young) woman of mixed Indonesian/Malay and European descent
Definitions
- a (young) woman of mixed Indonesian/Malay and European descent
Ancestry of “nonna”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malay | nyonya | A Nyonya; a female Peranakan; wife |
| 2 | Portuguese | dona | female equivalent of dono; A title of address to... |
| 3 | Old Portuguese | dona | — |
| 4 | Late Latin | domna | lady, mistress |
| 5 | Latin | domina | lady or mistress of the house |
| 6 | Latin | Dominus | the Lord; Lord; The Lord |
| 7 | Latin | domus | house, home; any building or abode; native place,... |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | domos | house, home |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dṓm | home; house |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dem- | to build; to arrange, to put together |