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nanu

ind.

1. surely?; but wouldn't?; is it true?; wasn't?

Built from

• na — root · not
  Plain negation, as in avijjā. Cognate with English 'no', 'nay'.
• nu — root · Q-particle
  Interrogative/emphatic particle; cognate with Greek νύ (nú) and Latin num. When attached to negation, it turns a negative into a rhetorical question or emphatic tag.

Etymology. From na (not) + nu (interrogative particle). The word combines negation with a question marker to form rhetorical questions and tag questions — 'not [is it]?' Classical Sanskrit nanu follows the same pattern (na + nu). The interrogative nu connects with Greek νύ (nú, 'now, pray') and Latin num ('whether, surely'), both originally question-particles that also express rhetorical force or emphatic assertion.

Meanings from the Digital Pāḷi Dictionary; morphology and etymology by Claude.

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