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Non-u

//nɒnˈjuː// adj, slang

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Not U; not characteristic of the upper classes, particularly regarding language. British, colloquial, dated, not-comparable

    "I may also note here that the U-demarcation is of two types: – (1) a certain U-feature has a different, non-U counterpart as non-U wealthy / U rich; (2) a certain feature is confined to U-speech and it has a counterpart which is not confined to non-U speech e.g. the pronunciations of girl as [ɡɛl], (? [ɡjɛl]), [ɡæl], [ɡɛəl] are U, but many (perhaps most male) U-speakers, like all non-U-speakers, use the pronunciation [ɡəːl]."

Adjective
  1. 1
    not characteristic of the upper classes especially in language use wordnet

Etymology

From non- + U (“characteristic of the upper classes”), coined by British linguist Alan S. C. Ross (1907–1980) in an article in 1954, and popularized by the English journalist and writer Nancy Mitford (1904–1973).

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