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Dunny

//ˈdʌni// adj, noun, slang

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Somewhat dun, dusky brownish.

    "I were skynnes of conny, / That causeth I loke so donny."

  2. 2
    Somewhat deaf, hard of hearing. UK, dialectal

    "Dunny, somewhat deaf, deafish."

  3. 3
    Slow to answer: stupid, unintelligent. UK, derogatory, dialectal, euphemistic

    "What the devil are you dunny? won't you give me no answer?"

Noun
  1. 1
    A dummy, an unintelligent person. UK, derogatory, dialectal, euphemistic, obsolete

    "Should a School-boy do so, he'd be whip'd for a Dunny."

  2. 2
    Alternative form of danna: shit. UK, alt-of, alternative, obsolete, slang
  3. 3
    A cellar, basement, or underground passage. Northern-England, Scotland, dated, slang
  4. 4
    An outhouse: an outbuilding used as a lavatory. Australia, New-Zealand, Northern-England, Scotland, also, dated, slang

    ""I've got one of those outside dunnies here, hasn't been emptied for six months and I ran out of sawdust three months ago.""

  5. 5
    Any other place or fixture used for urination and defecation: a latrine; a lavatory; a toilet. Australia, New-Zealand, slang

    "The dunny was another place to go to get out of class. You got to go there by raising your hand in class and asking Miss if you could go to the lav."

Show 1 more definition
  1. 6
    A passageway, particularly those connecting an outhouse to the main building. Northern-England, Scotland, dated, slang

Etymology

Etymology 1

From dun (“dusky brown”) + -y (“forming adjectives of lesser degree”).

Etymology 2

Probably from dun (“to ring”) + -y (“forming adjectives of lesser degree”).

Etymology 3

Probably from dun (“to ring”) + -y (“forming adjectives of lesser degree”).

Etymology 4

A clipped form of English cant dunnakin (“outhouse”) + -y (suffix forming affectionate diminutives). Dunnakin, dunnekin, etc. are of uncertain etymology, but probably from some form of English cant danna (“dung”) + ken (“house”, pejorative slang). The Scottish and North English senses may derive from Etymology 4 below, either under influence from English cant or as its original source.

Etymology 5

A clipped form of English dungeon + -y (“forming affectionate diminutives”).

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