nnnn.

adv.  a faltering no.

<Do you spend too much time with someone because you cannot say no?  Nnnn ... Nnnn ... Well, maybe.  —Joe Cirillo, It’s Your Time.>

adv.  no, as in the novel Tim and Pete by James Robert Baker.

<“Are you awake?”  “Nnnn.”  —Katie Hickman, Dreams of the Peaceful Dragon: A Journey Through Bhutan.> <“Would you like a beer?”  “Nnnn.”  —Steven Sherrill, The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break: A Novel.>

interj.  a growl or moan of ecstasy, as in the novel Over Tumbled Graves by Jess Walter.


interj.  a questioning hum, as during lovemaking.

<“I need to ask you something.”  “Nnnn?”  He didn’t remove his mouth, which now moved up her neck and was lightly sucking on her lobe.  —Dara Joy, Ritual of Proof.>

interj.  a quiet, hummed expression, as when one is at a loss for words or considering what to say.

<“Nnnn,” said Stig out of the side of his mouth as Ralph approached and leaned his mass toward them.  —Michael J. Nelson, Mike Nelson's Death Rat!: A Novel.> <“Nnnn,” Mitch said through his teeth.  —Tami Hoag, Night Sins.>

interj.  a response to the question “You phonio saxon?” in Finnegans Wake by James Joyce.

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