sun

English Online Dictionary. What means sun‎? What does sun mean?

Translingual

Symbol

sun

1. (international standards) ISO 639-2 & ISO 639-3 language code for Sundanese.

See also

• Wiktionary’s coverage of Sundanese terms

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: sŭn, IPA^(key): /sʌn/
• (Northern England, Ireland) IPA^(key): /sʊn/
• Rhymes: -ʌn
• Homophone: son

Etymology 1

From Middle English sonne, sunne, from Old English sunne, from Proto-West Germanic *sunnā, from Proto-Germanic *sunnǭ, from heteroclitic inanimate Proto-Indo-European *sh₂wen-, oblique of Proto-Indo-European *sóh₂wl̥ (“sun”). See also Saterland Frisian Sunne, West Frisian sinne, German Low German Sünn, Dutch zon, German Sonne, Icelandic sunna; outside of Germanic, Welsh huan, Sanskrit स्वर् (svàr), Avestan 𐬓𐬇𐬧𐬔 (xᵛə̄ṇg)). Related to sol, Sol, Surya, and Helios. More at solar.

Alternative forms

• (proper noun, star which Earth revolves around): Sun (capitalized)
• sonne, sunne (obsolete spelling)
• ☉ (alchemy)

Proper noun

the sun

2. The star that Earth revolves around, and from which it receives light and heat.

Translations

Noun

sun (countable and uncountable, plural suns)

1. (astronomy) A star, especially when seen as the centre of any single solar system.
2. The light and heat which are received from the sun; sunshine or sunlight.
3. (figurative) Something like the sun in brightness or splendor.
4. (uncountable, chiefly literary) Sunrise or sunset.
5. A revolution of the Earth around the Sun; a year.
6. A transversing of the sky by the Sun; a day.
7. The nineteenth trump/major arcana card of the tarot.
8. (cartomancy) The thirty-first Lenormand card.

Derived terms

Related terms

• south

Translations

Verb

sun (third-person singular simple present suns, present participle sunning, simple past and past participle sunned)

1. (transitive) To expose to the heat and radiation of the sun.

   Synonym: apricate
2. (transitive) To warm or dry in the sunshine.
3. (intransitive) To be exposed to the sun.
4. (intransitive, alternative medicine) To expose the eyes to the sun as part of the Bates method.

Hypernyms

• bask

Derived terms

• sun up

Translations

See also

Etymology 2

From Japanese 寸 (sun). Doublet of cun.

Noun

sun (plural suns or sun)

1. A traditional Japanese unit of length, approximately 30.3 millimetres (1.193 inches).

Etymology 3

Noun

sun (uncountable)

1. Alternative form of sunn (“the plant”)

Further reading

• sun on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “sun”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• 'uns, NUS, UNS, USN, uns

Bambara

Etymology 1

Noun

sun

1. trunk (of tree)

Usage notes

Often used in a compound with the name of a tree to indicate that kind of tree.

Etymology 2

From Arabic صَوْم (ṣawm, “fasting; abstaining from food, drink, and sex”), from Classical Syriac ܨܘܡܐ (ṣawmāʾ).

Noun

sun

1. fasting (during the month of Ramadan)

Noun

sun

1. to fast

Bavarian

Alternative forms

• sunn, suun

Etymology

From Middle High German sun, from Old High German sunu, from Proto-West Germanic *sunu, from Proto-Germanic *sunuz (“son”). Cognate with German Sohn, Dutch zoon, English son, Icelandic sonur.

Noun

sun

1. (Sauris) son

References

• Patuzzi, Umberto, ed., (2013) Luserna / Lusérn: Le nostre parole / Ünsarne börtar / Unsere Wörter [Our Words], Luserna, Italy: Comitato unitario delle isole linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien

Cimbrian

Noun

sun m

1. (Tredici Comuni) son

References

• Umberto Patuzzi, ed., (2013) Ünsarne Börtar, Luserna: Comitato unitario delle linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien

Czech

Etymology

Deverbal from sunout.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈsun]

Noun

sun m inan

1. slide

Declension

Related terms

Further reading

• “sun”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “sun”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “sun”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025

Finnish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsun/, [ˈs̠un]
• Rhymes: -un
• Hyphenation^(key): sun

Etymology 1

Possibly from sun (etymology 2), originally as a replacement of mun, eroded variant of muin which was reinterpreted as the genitive singular of mä.

Conjunction

sun

1. (coordinating) A coordinating conjunction expressing generality.

Further reading

• “sun”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[4] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-01

Etymology 2

Compare standard sinun (“your, yours”) (genitive singular of sinä).

Pronoun

sun

1. (colloquial) genitive singular of sä

Friulian

Etymology

From Latin sonus.

Noun

sun m (plural suns)

1. sound
2. music

Synonyms

• (music): musiche

Related terms

• sunâ

Hokkien

Inari Sami

Etymology

From Proto-Samic *sonë.

Pronunciation

Pronoun

sun (genitive suu)

1. he, she, it

See also

Further reading

• sun in Marja-Liisa Olthuis, Taarna Valtonen, Miina Seurujärvi and Trond Trosterud (2015–2022) Nettidigisäänih Anarâškiela-suomakielâ-anarâškielâ sänikirje‎^[5], Tromsø: UiT

• Koponen, Eino, Ruppel, Klaas, Aapala, Kirsti, editors (2002–2008), Álgu database: Etymological database of the Saami languages‎^[6], Helsinki: Research Institute for the Languages of Finland

Indonesian

Etymology

From Dutch zoen (“kiss”), from Middle Dutch zoene, soen, soene, swoene (“reconciliation; atonement; kiss”), from Old Dutch *sōna, *swōna (“reconciliation; peace; agreement”), from Proto-Germanic *sōnō, *swōnō (“appeasement; reconciliation; atonement; sacrifice”), from Proto-Indo-European *swā-n- (“healthy; whole; active; vigorous”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈsʊn]
• Hyphenation: sun

Noun

sun (plural sun-sun)

1. kiss, a touch with the lips, usually to express love or affection, or as a greeting

   Synonym: ciuman

Derived terms

Further reading

• “sun” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Italian

Etymology

From su.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsu.n‿/

Conjunction

sun

1. (poetic, rare) Alternative form of su used before a vowel

Further reading

• sun in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Japanese

Romanization

sun

1. Rōmaji transcription of すん

Javanese

Noun

sun

1. a kiss

Kaingang

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃudn/

Verb

sun

1. To warm oneself by staying near a fire.

References

Kamkata-viri

Etymology

Borrowed from a descendant of Sanskrit सुवर्ण (suvárṇa).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsun/

Noun

sun (Kamviri, Western Kata-viri)

1. gold

References

Ladin

Preposition

sun

1. on, over
2. in

Verb

sun

1. Alternative form of son

Manchu

Romanization

sun

1. Romanization of ᠰᡠᠨ

Mandarin

Romanization

sun

1. Nonstandard spelling of sūn.
2. Nonstandard spelling of sǔn.
3. Nonstandard spelling of sùn.

Usage notes

• Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

Middle English

Etymology 1

Noun

sun

1. Alternative form of sonne (“sun”)

Etymology 2

Noun

sun

1. Alternative form of sone (“son”)

Mimi of Nachtigal

Etymology

Similar to (and likely a borrowing of, or possibly the lender of) the word used for water in the "third Mimi" language, Amdang sunu, which in turn is (per Starostin) "most likely cognate with" Fur suːn (“waterhole, well”).

Noun

sun

1. water

References

• George Starostin, On Mimi

North Frisian

Alternative forms

• sönj (Mooring)
• Sön (Sylt)

Etymology

From Old Frisian sand, from Proto-Germanic *samdaz. Cognates include West Frisian sân.

Noun

sun n

1. (Föhr-Amrum) sand

Noun

sun m (plural sunen)

1. (Föhr-Amrum) sandbank, sandy area, sands

Derived terms

Old Danish

Etymology

From Old Norse sonr, sunr, from Proto-Germanic *sunuz.

Noun

sun m (nominative plural synær)

1. son

Descendants

• Danish: søn

Quiripi

Noun

sun

1. (Unquachog) stone

References

• Thomas Jefferson (1791) A vocabulary of the Language of the Unquachog Indians (in Quiripi)

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsun/
• Rhymes: -un

Etymology 1

Verb

sun

1. first-person singular present indicative/subjunctive of suna

Etymology 2

Probably from Latin sonus, or from the verb suna.

Noun

sun n (plural sunuri)

1. (obsolete) sound

   Synonym: sunet

Declension

References

• “sun”, in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language) (in Romanian), 2004–2025

Scots

Etymology

From Old English sunne, from Proto-West Germanic *sunnā, from Proto-Germanic *sunnǭ, from heteroclitic inanimate Proto-Indo-European *sh₂wen- (“sun”), oblique stem *sóh₂wl̥ (“sun”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sʌn/, /sɪn/

Noun

sun (plural suns)

1. sun

Derived terms

Vietnamese

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [sun˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʂun˧˧] ~ [sun˧˧]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [ʂʊwŋ͡m˧˧] ~ [sʊwŋ͡m˧˧]

Verb

sun

1. (intransitive) To shrink.
2. (transitive) To pull together.

   sun vai

   to pull one’s shoulders together

References

• "sun" in Hồ Ngọc Đức, Free Vietnamese Dictionary Project (details)

Waigali

Etymology

Borrowed from a descendant of Sanskrit सुवर्ण (suvárṇa).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsun/

Noun

sun (Nisheigram)

1. gold

References

Yoruba

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sũ̀/

Verb

sùn

1. to sleep

   Mo sùn gbalaja ― I slept stretched out

Synonyms

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sũ̄/

Verb

sun

1. to roast

   Synonyms: yan, wì (“to singe”)

   Mo sun ẹran. ― I roasted the meat.

2. to burn; to set on fire

   Synonyms: jó, jóná, dáná sun

   A máa ń sun òkú nínú àṣà tèmi. ― We cremate the dead in my culture.

   Àwọn jagunjagun ya wọ̀lú, wọ́n sì dáná sun ojúbọ ― The warriors raided the town and set the shrines on fire

Synonyms

Derived terms

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sũ̄/

Verb

sun

1. to trickle; to flow

Derived terms

• orísun (“source”)

Etymology 4

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sũ̄/

Verb

sun

1. (with ẹkún (“tears”)) to cry

   Wọ́n ń sun ẹkún níbi ìsìnkú ― They're crying at the burial ground

2. to chant

   Ọdẹ ni ó máa ń sun ìjálá, ìyàwó ni ó máa ń sun ẹkún-ìyàwó ― Hunters chant ìjálá, and brides chant the ẹkún-ìyàwó

Synonyms

Derived terms

Etymology 5

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sũ̀/

Verb

sùn

1. to aim; to target

   Ìyẹn ni mò ń fojú sùn lọ́dún tó ń bọ̀ ― That's what I aspire for this coming year

Derived terms

• àfojúsùn (“goal; target”)

Etymology 6

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sṹ/

Verb

sún

1. to shift; to move

   Sún mọ́ mi. ― Move closer to me.

   Pẹ̀lúmi fẹ́ sún ìpàdé síwájú ― Pelumi wants to postpone the meeting

2. to nudge; to motivate

   Ó sún mi láti wọ́de ― It motivated me to protest

3. to prick

   Synonym: gún

   Ẹ̀gún sún mi lọ́wọ́ ― The thorn pricked me

Derived terms

• sún kì (“to contract; to shrink”)

Etymology 7

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sũ̀/

Verb

sùn

1. to make a complaint

   A ti fẹjọ́ yín sùn wọ́n ― We have reported you to them