# Why can I not find "dunamany" in any on-line dictionaries or etymologies? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 16, 2015, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-i-not-find-dunamany-in-any-on-line-dictionaries-or-etymologies/720146 "2015-05-16T00:44:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2015, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-i-not-find-dunamany-in-any-on-line-dictionaries-or-etymologies/720146/1 "2015-05-16T00:44:31Z")
I was talking about something and used the word “dunamany”, which I understand to be an adjective meaning “a lot” or “many”. When challenged, I couldn’t find it in any on-line dictionaries or etymologies, although I did find it used in a few places on-line, if you google “dunamany”. So why can’t I find this word on-line in a dictionary or etymology? ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2015, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-i-not-find-dunamany-in-any-on-line-dictionaries-or-etymologies/720146/2 "2015-05-16T00:55:28Z")
It seems to be a word in a dialect of Scotland. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2015, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-i-not-find-dunamany-in-any-on-line-dictionaries-or-etymologies/720146/3 "2015-05-16T01:00:45Z")
Surely the etymology is from “(I) don’t know how many.” Perhaps you can’t find it as it’s a phrase, not a single word. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2015, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-i-not-find-dunamany-in-any-on-line-dictionaries-or-etymologies/720146/4 "2015-05-16T02:08:13Z")
It’s in the OED (with a double-n spelling): > [@](#): > > dunnamany, v. > > Pronunciation: /ˈdʌnəˌmɛnɪ/ > > colloquial form of (I) don’t know how many. Cf. dunno v. > > 1906 R. Kipling Puck of Pook’s Hill 267 Justabout tore the gizzards out of I dunnamany. > 1906 R. Kipling Puck of Pook’s Hill 273 The Pharisees just about flowed…down the beach to the boat, I dunnamany of 'em. > 1946 G. Heyer Reluctant Widow iii. 41 Your lordship knows I’ve been with Mr. Hitchin a dunnamany years. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2015, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-i-not-find-dunamany-in-any-on-line-dictionaries-or-etymologies/720146/5 "2015-05-16T02:14:21Z")
interesting - thanks. Still doesn’t show up in Etymology Online, though. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2015, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-i-not-find-dunamany-in-any-on-line-dictionaries-or-etymologies/720146/6 "2015-05-16T13:39:39Z")
Another new word for me today. Thanks all. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2015, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-i-not-find-dunamany-in-any-on-line-dictionaries-or-etymologies/720146/7 "2015-05-16T13:56:39Z")
> [@rsa](#): > > It seems to be a word in a dialect of Scotland. No, its sussex slang. ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-i-not-find-dunamany-in-any-on-line-dictionaries-or-etymologies/720146/8 "2015-05-16T18:00:39Z")
> [@zombywoof](#): > > It’s in the OED (with a double-n spelling): > [@Isilder](#): > > No, its sussex slang. Interesting. Yes, dunnamany is Sussex slang, but the OP asked about dunamany (one “n”) which does appear to be Scottish Highlands slang. ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2015, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-i-not-find-dunamany-in-any-on-line-dictionaries-or-etymologies/720146/9 "2015-05-16T18:10:52Z")
A probably supremely useless bit of information, concerning the 1946-published “young adult” novel _Mistress Masham’s Repose_, by the British author T.H. White, best known for his _The Once and Future King_ treatment of the Arthurian legends. _MMR_ is set in the county of Northamptonshire, in the East Midlands of England; and includes a passing reference to the imaginary village in that county, of Dunamany [one “n”] Wenches. ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2015, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-i-not-find-dunamany-in-any-on-line-dictionaries-or-etymologies/720146/10 "2015-05-16T20:06:47Z")
> [@Sangahyando](#): > > A probably supremely useless bit of information, concerning the 1946-published “young adult” novel _Mistress Masham’s Repose_, by the British author T.H. White, best known for his _The Once and Future King_ treatment of the Arthurian legends. _MMR_ is set in the county of Northamptonshire, in the East Midlands of England; and includes a passing reference to the imaginary village in that county, of Dunamany [one “n”] Wenches. Also appears in several Scottish historical romance novels by Amanda Scott. Also appears as a place name of Dunamany, Parish of Donaghkeady, Ireland. ([Proceedings of the _Royal Irish Academy_ Hugh W. B. Thompson _The Irish Church Quarterly_ Vol. 10, No. 40 (Oct., 1917), pp. 310-312](http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/30067723?uid=3739560&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21106427190951)) ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2015, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-i-not-find-dunamany-in-any-on-line-dictionaries-or-etymologies/720146/11 "2015-05-16T20:23:07Z")
In my Shorter OED, the origin of dunnamany is listed as ‘Repr(esentative of) informal pronunc(iation).’