Where does “noona” come from?

noona (English) comes from Korean 누나, from Korean 님, from Old Korean nirim.

noona (English): An affectionate term of address for an older sister or somewhat older woman

Definitions

  1. An affectionate term of address for an older sister or somewhat older woman

Ancestry of “noona”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean누나elder sister of a male; close elder female...
2Korean님esteemed; Mr., Ms., Mrs; beloved; lord
3Old Koreannirim—
Every word from Old Korean nirim →Every word from Korean 님 →Every word from Korean 누나 →