nhim

See also: nhím, nhîm, and nhỉm

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)

1. girl (female child)
2. 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