dun

See also: Appendix:Variations of "dun"

Languages (25)

Translingual • English

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Antigua and Barbuda Creole English • Asturian • Bambara • Basque • Danish • Dutch • Galician • German • Hunsrik • Kiput • Mandarin • Middle English • Norwegian Bokmål • Norwegian Nynorsk • Old English • Old French • Old Irish • Sranan Tongo • Swedish • Volapük • Welsh • Wolof • Yoruba

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Page categories

Translingual

Symbol

dun

1. (international standards) ISO 639-3 language code for Dusun Deyah.

See also

• Wiktionary’s coverage of Dusun Deyah terms

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:

dun (disambiguation)

Wikipedia

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dʌn/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• (Northern England) IPA^(key): /dʊn/
• Rhymes: -ʌn
• Homophones: done, Donn, Donne, Dunn, Dunne

Etymology 1

From Middle English dun, donn, dunne, from Old English dunn (“dun, dingy brown, bark-colored, brownish black”), from Proto-West Germanic *duʀn, from Proto-Germanic *duznaz, *dusnaz (“brown, yellow”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂- (“to smoke, raise dust”). Cognate with Old Saxon dun (“brown, dark”), Old High German tusin (“ash-gray, dull brown, pale yellow, dark”), Old Norse dunna (“female mallard; duck”).

Alternative etymology derives the Old English word from Brythonic (compare Middle Welsh dwnn (“dark (red)”)), from Proto-Celtic *dusnos (compare Old Irish donn and Scottish Gaelic donn (“brown”)), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰews- (compare Old Saxon dosan (“chestnut brown”)). More at dusk.

Noun

dun (usually uncountable, plural duns)

1. A brownish grey colour.

   dun:  

   Synonym: claybank

Translations

colour

Bulgarian: сиво-кафяв (sivo-kafjav) Czech: šedohnědá barva Dutch: vaalbruin (nl), grijs-bruin Finnish: harmaanruskea (fi) French: brun (fr) grisâtre Georgian: მონაცრისფრო-ყვითელი ფერი (monacrispro-q̇viteli peri) German: Graubraun n Greek: καστανόφαιο (kastanófaio) Hungarian: szürkésbarna (hu), ordas (hu) Icelandic: grámórautt n Indonesian: turangga (id) n Irish: donn (ga) Italian: bigio (it) m, grigio (it) m, grigiastro (it) m Japanese: 焦げ茶色 (ja) (こげちゃいろ, kogechairo) Norwegian: gråbrunt n Occitan: brunèl Persian: دیزه (fa) (dize) Portuguese: pardo (pt) m Russian: серова́то-кори́чневый (ru) m (serováto-koríčnevyj) (цвет) Serbo-Croatian: sivosmeđ Spanish: pardo (es) Swedish: gråbrun (sv), gråbrunt Turkish: kula (tr)

Adjective

dun (not comparable)

1. Of a brownish grey colour.
   • c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene v], page 134, column 2, lines 48–49:

     Come, thick Night,
     And pall thee in the dunneſt ſmoake of Hell,
     That my keene Knife ſee not the Wound it makes,
     Nor Heauen peepe through the Blanket of the darke,
     To cry, hold, hold.

   • 1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 130”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […]‎, London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, →OCLC:

     My Miſtres eyes are nothing like the Sunne,
     Currall is farre more red, then her lips red,
     If ſnow be white, why then her breſts are dun:
     If hairs be wiers, black wiers grow on her head: [...]

   • 1827, [John Keble], “Twenty-third Sunday after Trinity”, in The Christian Year: Thoughts in Verse for the Sundays and Holydays throughout the Year, volume II, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] [B]y W. Baxter, for J. Parker; and C[harles] and J[ohn] Rivington, […], →OCLC, page 85:

     Red o'er the forest glows the setting sun, / The line of yellow light dies fast away / That crown'd the eastern copse, and chill and dun / Falls on the moor the brief November day.

   • 2007 September 25, Bungie, Halo 3, Microsoft Game Studios, Xbox 360, level/area: Terminal One (Legendary):

     Where is the nobility in these streets paved with greasy carbon and dun ash?

Translations

of a brownish grey colour

Bulgarian: сиво-кафяв (sivo-kafjav) Chinese: Mandarin: 暗褐色的 (ànhèsède) Czech: šedohnědý, plavý (cs) (horse) Dutch: grijsbruin (nl) Finnish: harmaanruskea (fi) French: brun gris Georgian: მონაცრისფრო-ყვითელი (monacrispro-q̇viteli) German: graubraun (de), falb (of horses) Hungarian: fakó (hu), ordas (hu) Indonesian: turangga (id) Irish: riabhach Italian: grigio brunastro (it) m Norwegian: gråbrun Ottoman Turkish: قولا (kula) Polish: płowy (pl) m, bułany (pl) (horse coat color) Portuguese: pardo (pt) Russian: серова́то-кори́чневый (ru) (serováto-koríčnevyj) Scottish Gaelic: odhar Spanish: pardo (es) Swedish: gråbrun (sv) Turkish: boz (tr)

Derived terms

• donkey (uncertain)
• dun-bar
• dunbird
• dun crow
• dun diver
• dunfish
• dunness
• dunnish
• dunnock
• dunny
• dunsel

See also

• bawn
• durmast oak
• Appendix:Colors

Etymology 2

Unknown; perhaps a variant of din. Several sources suggest origin from Joe Dun, the name of a bailiff known for arresting debtors, but this is controversial.

Noun

dun (plural duns)

1. (countable) A collector of debts, especially one who is insistent and demanding.
   • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, pages 162–163:

     "The truth is, Mr. Curl, I cannot write when I am plagued about trifles; and a tiresome dun this morning put to flight every idea that I had in the world."
     "Mr. Maynard," said the bookseller, in a solemn tone, "it is very wrong to run in debt."

   • 1889 [1712], John Arbuthnot, The History of John Bull, London: Cassell & Co., →OCLC, page 71:

     Look ye, gentlemen, I have lived with credit in the world, and it grieves my heart never to stir out of my doors but to be pulled by the sleeve by some rascally dun or other.

   • 1933 January 9, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter XVIII, in Down and Out in Paris and London, London: Victor Gollancz […], →OCLC:

     Melancholy duns came looking for him at all hours.

   • 1970, John Glassco, Memoirs of Montparnasse, New York, published 2007, page 102:

     ‘Frank's worried about duns,’ she said as the butler went away.

2. An urgent request or demand of payment.
   • 1842, A.B.G., “Errata”, in Evangelical Magazine and Gospel Advocate, volume 13, →OCLC, page 251:

     Miss Hoppin received a dun for volume 9 1840–1 which Mr. James McConnell, (who now pays the above) is sure was paid.

Derived terms

• dun letter

Translations

a collector of debts

Czech: vymahač m Finnish: perijä (fi), velkoja (fi)

Verb

dun (third-person singular simple present duns, present participle dunning, simple past and past participle dunned)

1. (transitive) To ask or beset a debtor for payment.
   • 1768, Jonathan Swift, The Works of Dr. Jonathan Swift, London: C. Bathurst, →OCLC, Miscellanies in Verse, page 309:

     And hath she sent so soon to dun?

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:
     Folio Society 1973, p. 577:

     Of all he had received from Lady Bellaston, not above five guineas remained and that very morning he had been dunned by a tradesman for twice that sum.

2. (transitive) To harass by continually repeating e.g. a request.
   • 1940, Raymond Chandler, Farewell, My Lovely, Penguin, published 2010, page 107:

     Rich bitches who had to be dunned for their milk bills would pay him right now.

Translations

to ask for payment

Czech: upomínat impf, urgovat (cs) impf, vymáhat zaplacení Dutch: afpersen (nl) Finnish: periä (fi), velkoa (fi), karhuta (fi) Japanese: 借金の催促 (ja) (しゃっきんのさいそく, shakkin no saisoku) Portuguese: cobrar (pt)

to harass by continually repeating a request

Finnish: tivata (fi), perätä (fi) Polish: przymawiać się impf, przymówić się pf

Etymology 3

Uncertain; likely from the color.

Noun

dun (plural duns)

1. (countable) A newly hatched, immature mayfly; a mayfly subimago.
   • 1966, John Harris, An Angler's Entomology, New York: Barnes, →OCLC, page 16:

     Also, duns are dull and generally sober colored, whilst spinners are more brightly colored and shining and their wings are clear and transparent.

2. (countable, fishing) A fly made to resemble the mayfly subimago.
   • 1676, Charles Cotton, The Compleat Angler. Being Instructions how to Angle for a Trout or Grayling in a Clear Stream, London: Richard Marriott, and Henry Brome, →OCLC, March, page 59:

     We have besides for this Month a little Dun call'd a whirling Dun (though it is not the whirling Dun indeed, which is one of the best Flies we have) and for this the dubbing must be of the bottom fur of a Squirrels tail and the wing of the grey feather of a Drake.

Synonyms

• subimago

Translations

immature mayfly

Finnish: esiaikuinen, subimago

Etymology 4

From Irish dún or Scottish Gaelic dùn, from Proto-Celtic *dūnom (“fortress”). Cognate with Welsh dinas (“city”). Doublet of town.

Alternative forms

• doon
• dún

Noun

English Wikipedia has an article on:

dun

Wikipedia

dun (plural duns)

2. An ancient or medieval fortification; especially a hill-fort in Scotland or Ireland.
   • 1858, Henry MacLauchlan, Memoir written during a survey of the Roman Wall, through the counties of Northumberland and Cumberland, in the years 1852-1854, London: Printed for private circulation, →OCLC, page 9:

     Pampedun, or Pandon, was probably a place of residence from the earliest times; its sheltered situation for boats, and proximity to the ancient way over the river, protected perhaps by a dun or camp, on the height above [...] possibly gave origin to the ancient name of the place, Pampedun, from the British pant, a hollow, and dun, a fort or camp, Pant-y-dun.

3. (archaeology) A structure in the Orkney or Shetland islands or in Scotland consisting of a roundhouse surrounded by a circular wall; a broch.
   • 2013, T.J. Clarkson, The Makers of Scotland: Picts, Romans, Gaels and Vikings, Edinburgh: Birlinn, →ISBN:

     Smaller than the broch was the dun, another type of stone-built 'roundhouse'.

Etymology 5

See do.

Verb

dun

1. (nonstandard, informal) Eye dialect spelling of done: past participle of do.

   Now, ya dun it!

   • 1895 May, S.L.N. Foote, “Correspondence”, in International Journal of Medicine and Surgery‎, volume 8, retrieved 2016–10–13, page 194:

     ...a wise old lady exclaimed, "Why Mrs. M. warn't you orful skeerd wunst when you seed a dog fight? [...] an that ere big yaller dog bit orf your baby's hand that minit; in cors he dun it, so now that settles it."

   • 2001 April 1, Robert Frost, Poems by Robert Frost: A Boy's Will and North of Boston‎, Penguin, →ISBN, →OCLC:

     “Oh, Because I want their dollar.
     I don't want Anything they've not got. I never dun.
     I'm there, and they can pay me if they like.
     I go nowhere on purpose: I happen by.
     Sorry there is no cup to give you a drink. […]

2. (nonstandard, informal) Pronunciation spelling of don't: contraction of do +‎ not.
   • 1901, Gilbert Parker, The Right of Way, New York and London: Harper, →OCLC:

     Fwhere's he come from, I dun'no'. French or English, I dun'no'. But a gintleman born, I know.

Etymology 6

Likely from the color of fish so prepared.

Verb

dun (third-person singular simple present duns, present participle dunning, simple past and past participle dunned)

1. (transitive, dated) To cure, as codfish, by laying them, after salting, in a pile in a dark place, covered with saltgrass or a similar substance.
   • 1832, James Thacher, History of Plymouth; from its first settlement in 1620, to the year 1832, Boston: Marsh, Capen & Lyon, →OCLC, page 317:

     Dun-fish are of a superior quality for the table, and are cured in such a manner as to give them a dun or brownish color. Fish for dunning are caught early in spring, and sometimes February, at the Isle of Shoals.

Etymology 7

See dune.

Noun

dun (plural duns)

1. A mound or small hill.

Etymology 8

Imitative.

Interjection

dun

1. Imitating a deep bass note, such as that found in suspenseful music.
   • 2009, Carrie Tucker, I Love Geeks: The Official Handbook, Avon, Massachusetts: Adams Media, →ISBN:

     How would you deal with that power? (Dun, dun, DUN! Insert dramatic music here.)

   • 2015, Lisa Dombrowski, The Films of Samuel Fuller: If You Die, I’ll Kill You, page 113:

     Dun, dun! Dun, dun! As the music continues, the long shot of Griff's walk is broken down into repeating tight shots of his face, his legs, and his shifting point of view of Brockie.

   • 2016, Helen Russell, Leap Year: How small steps can make a giant difference:

     'DUN DUN DUN DUN-DUN-DUN-DUN! DUN DUN DUN DUNDUN-DUN-DUN... PRESSURE!' By 2.05 a.m. I am Very Awake Indeed and the catastrophising continues.

   • 2020, Spencer Hamilton, The Fear: A Pandemic Horror Novel:

     Whenever that iconic riff in the score cued up—Dun dun ... dun dun ... dun dun dun dun dun-dun-dun-dun ... —Jack's heart would race, and she'd feel the fear on her skin.

Derived terms

• dun dun dun

Etymology 9

Borrowed from Hindustani दून (dūn) / دُون (dūn). False cognate of dun (sense 4) / doon, and dun (sense 7) / dune

Noun

dun (plural duns)

1. Alternative form of dhoon (“Himalayan valley”).

See also

etymologically unrelated terms

• dun comma
• dun dun

References

• “dun”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• DNU, und

Antigua and Barbuda Creole English

Adjective

dun

1. done

Asturian

Etymology

From Latin dum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdun/ [ˈd̪ũŋ]
• Rhymes: -uŋ
• Hyphenation: dun

Adverb

dun

1. (literary or archaic) while

   Synonyms: mentes, demientres, mentanto

   • 1861, José Sánchez de Santa María, Evanxeliu según San Mateu (translation of the Gospel of Matthew):

     dun estás con elli entovía nel camin [...] Entanto llegó Xesús con illos á un caseríu llamáu Xesmaní, y díxoyos: Asentáivos aquí, dun vo yo allí, y fago oracion.

     while you are still with him on the road [...] Meanwhile, Jesus arrived with them to a homstead called Gethsemane, and he told them: Sit down here, while I go there and pray.

Contraction

dun m (feminine duna, neuter duno, masculine plural dunos, feminine plural dunes)

1. (obsolete) of a (modern d'un)
   • 1843, Juan Junquera Huergo, Llos Trabayos de Chinticu:

     Dempos dun bon rellatu

     After (of) a good story

References

• Xosé Lluis García Arias (2002–2004), “dun”, in Diccionario general de la lengua asturiana [General Dictionary of the Asturian Language] (in Spanish), Editorial Prensa Asturiana, →ISBN

Bambara

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [dũ˦]

Verb

dun

1. to eat

References

• 2007. The UCLA Phonetics Lab Archive. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Department of Linguistics.

Basque

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dun/ [d̪ũn]
• Rhymes: -un
• Hyphenation: dun

Etymology 1

Verb

dun

1. Informal second-person singular feminine (hik), taking third-person singular (hura) as direct object, present indicative form of izan.

Usage notes

Linguistically, this verb form can be seen as belonging to the reconstructed citation form edun instead of izan.

Etymology 2

Verb

dun

1. Feminine allocutive form of da.

Danish

Etymology

From Old Norse dúnn (“down”). Related to dyne.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /duːn/, [d̥uːˀn]

Noun

dun n (singular definite dunet, plural indefinite dun)

1. down (soft, immature feathers)

Inflection

Declension of dun

neuter gender	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	dun	dunet	dun	dunene
genitive	duns	dunets	duns	dunenes

See also

• “dun” in Den Danske Ordbog
• “dun” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog
• dun on the Danish Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^da

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dʏn/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: dun
• Rhymes: -ʏn
• Homophone: Dun

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch dunne, from Old Dutch *thunni, from Proto-West Germanic *þunnī, from Proto-Germanic *þunnuz. Cognate with English thin (Compare West-Flemish thinne).

Adjective

dun (comparative dunner, superlative dunst)

1. thin, slender
2. sparse
3. (liquid) runny

Declension

Declension of dun
uninflected	dun
inflected	dunne
comparative	dunner
		positive	comparative	superlative
predicative/adverbial		dun	dunner	het dunst het dunste
indefinite	m./f. sing.	dunne	dunnere	dunste
	n. sing.	dun	dunner	dunste
	plural	dunne	dunnere	dunste
definite		dunne	dunnere	dunste
partitive		duns	dunners	—

Antonyms

• dicht, dik

Derived terms

• door dik en dun
• dun schaduwmos
• dunbekwulp
• dundoek
• dunheid
• dunne darm
• dunnen
• dunnetjes
• dunschiller
• flinterdun
• verdunnen

Descendants

• Afrikaans: dun
• Berbice Creole Dutch: doni
• Negerhollands: dun, din
• → Aukan: deni, doin

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

dun

1. inflection of dunnen:
   1. first-person singular present indicative
   2. (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
   3. imperative

Galician

Etymology

From de (“of”) + un (“masculine singular indefinite article”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈduŋ/ [ˈd̪uŋ]
• Rhymes: -uŋ
• Hyphenation: dun

Contraction

dun m (feminine dunha, masculine plural duns, feminine plural dunhas)

1. contraction of de (“from/of”) +‎ un m (“a”)

Further reading

• “dun, dunha”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2025

German

Alternative forms

• duhn

Etymology

Borrowed from Low German duun.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /duːn/

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

Adjective

dun (strong nominative masculine singular duner, comparative duner, superlative am dunsten)

1. (colloquial, chiefly Northern Germany) drunk
   • 1998, “Du (äh, Du)”, in Power, performed by Fischmob:

     Ich war dun die Nacht
     Und hatte mit chemischen Drogen aus Amerika herumexperimentiert
     Bis ich das Bewußtsein verlor

     I was drunk that night / and had experimented with synthetic drugs from America / until I lost consciousness

Declension

Positive forms of dun

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist dun	sie ist dun	es ist dun	sie sind dun
strong declension (without article)	nominative	duner	dune	dunes	dune
	genitive	dunen	duner	dunen	duner
	dative	dunem	duner	dunem	dunen
	accusative	dunen	dune	dunes	dune
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der dune	die dune	das dune	die dunen
	genitive	des dunen	der dunen	des dunen	der dunen
	dative	dem dunen	der dunen	dem dunen	den dunen
	accusative	den dunen	die dune	das dune	die dunen
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein duner	eine dune	ein dunes	(keine) dunen
	genitive	eines dunen	einer dunen	eines dunen	(keiner) dunen
	dative	einem dunen	einer dunen	einem dunen	(keinen) dunen
	accusative	einen dunen	eine dune	ein dunes	(keine) dunen

Comparative forms of dun

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist duner	sie ist duner	es ist duner	sie sind duner
strong declension (without article)	nominative	dunerer	dunere	duneres	dunere
	genitive	duneren	dunerer	duneren	dunerer
	dative	dunerem	dunerer	dunerem	duneren
	accusative	duneren	dunere	duneres	dunere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der dunere	die dunere	das dunere	die duneren
	genitive	des duneren	der duneren	des duneren	der duneren
	dative	dem duneren	der duneren	dem duneren	den duneren
	accusative	den duneren	die dunere	das dunere	die duneren
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein dunerer	eine dunere	ein duneres	(keine) duneren
	genitive	eines duneren	einer duneren	eines duneren	(keiner) duneren
	dative	einem duneren	einer duneren	einem duneren	(keinen) duneren
	accusative	einen duneren	eine dunere	ein duneres	(keine) duneren

Superlative forms of dun

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist am dunsten	sie ist am dunsten	es ist am dunsten	sie sind am dunsten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	dunster	dunste	dunstes	dunste
	genitive	dunsten	dunster	dunsten	dunster
	dative	dunstem	dunster	dunstem	dunsten
	accusative	dunsten	dunste	dunstes	dunste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der dunste	die dunste	das dunste	die dunsten
	genitive	des dunsten	der dunsten	des dunsten	der dunsten
	dative	dem dunsten	der dunsten	dem dunsten	den dunsten
	accusative	den dunsten	die dunste	das dunste	die dunsten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein dunster	eine dunste	ein dunstes	(keine) dunsten
	genitive	eines dunsten	einer dunsten	eines dunsten	(keiner) dunsten
	dative	einem dunsten	einer dunsten	einem dunsten	(keinen) dunsten
	accusative	einen dunsten	eine dunste	ein dunstes	(keine) dunsten

Further reading

• “dun” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “dun” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “dun” in Duden online