334 NUN 
ciently nonne. Voffius and others confider it as an Egyp¬ 
tian word, fignifying a virgin. In low Lat. nonnus is a 
monk, nonna a nun. Others refer it to the Gr. ism?, and 
and to the Italian nonno and nonna, which fignify 
uncle and aunt, grandfather and grandmother, applied 
by way of honourably didinguifhing the religious as fa¬ 
ther's and mothers. The Lat. nonna fil'd denoted a peni¬ 
tent woman, then a religious.] A woman dedicated to 
the feverer duties of religion, fecluded in a cloifter from 
the world, and debarred by a vow from the converfe of 
men.—A devout nun had vowed to take fome young 
child, and bellow her whole life and utmoft indultry to 
bring it up in drift piety. Hammond. 
My daughters 
Shall all be praying nuns, not weeping queens. ShaJtefp. 
That there were women in the ancient Chriflian 
church, who made public profeflion of virginity, before 
the monadic life was known, appears from the writings 
of Cyprian and Tertullian. Thefe, for diltinftion’s fake, 
are fometimes called ecclefiaflical virgins, and were com¬ 
monly enrolled in the canon or matricula of the church. 
They differed from the monadic virgins chiefly in this, 
that they lived privately in their father’s houfes, whereas 
the others lived in communities : but their profeflion of 
virginity was not fo drift as to make it criminal for them 
to marry afterwards, if they thought fit. As to the con- 
fecration of virgins, it had fome things peculiar in it; it 
was ufually performed publicly in the church by the 
bifnop : the virgin made a public profeflion of her refo- 
lution, and then the bifliop put upon her the accuflomed 
habit of facred virgins. One part of this habit was a 
veil, called the facrum velamen; another, was a kind of 
mitre or coronet worn upon the head. At prefent, when 
a woman is to be made a nun, the habit, veil, and ring, 
of the candidate, are carried to the altar; and file herfelf, 
accompanied by her neared relations, is condufted to the 
bifliop, who, after mafs and an anthem, (the fubjeft of 
which is, “ that file ought to have her lamp lighted, be- 
caufe the bridegroom is coming to meet her,”) pro¬ 
nounces the benediftion : then die rifes up, and the bifli¬ 
op coniecrates the new habit, fprinkling it with holy 
water. When the candidate has put on her religious ha¬ 
bit, flie prefents herfelf before the bidiop, and lings, on 
her knees, AriciUa driftiJam, See. then die receives the 
veil, and afterwards the ring, by which die is married to 
CliriA ; and ladly, the crown of virginity. When flie is 
crowned, an anathema is denounced againlt all who fliall 
attempt to make her break her vows. 
NUN, a river of Africa, which runs into the Atlantic 
in lat. 4. 40. N. Ion. 5. 6. W. 
NUN, or Non. See Non, p. 126. 
NUNCAJV, a town of Hindoodan, in the circar of 
Mahur: eight miles eaft-fouth-ead of Mahur. 
NUN'CH ION, f. [corrupted from noonjhun, a meal 
eaten about noon, when country labourers ufually re¬ 
tire from the heat of the fun, as Mr. Malone alfo has ob- 
ferved ; citing the following paflage from Browne, w hich 
Mr. Mafon, in his Supplement to Dr. Johnfon’sDiftionary, 
has alfo given, w-ith the definition of “ a fliady place to 
retire to at noon.” But it is the meal, and not the place, 
which the poet means. Sherwood, in his Dift. (1631), 
calls it “ anuncions or nnnehion, an afternoones repalt.” 
TodcL] Viftuals eaten between meals : 
That harved-folkes (with curds and clouted cream. 
With cheefe and butter, cakes and cates yiiow 
That are the yeoman’s from the yoake or cowe) 
On fiieafes of corne, were at their nocmjhuns clofe. Browne. 
Laying by their fw'ords and trunchions, 
They took their breakfads or their nanchions. Hudihras. 
NUNCIA'TION, f. \_nunciatio, Lat.] Among the Ro¬ 
mans, was ufed to fignify the report which the augur 
made concerning what he had feen. This lie did to the 
chief magiflrate prefent; and the magidrate communi- 
N U N 
cated the fame to the people, and fo difmifled the aflembly, 
which was called ohnunciation. 
NUN'CIATURE, J. [from nuncio, Lat.] The office of 
a nuncio.—They who knew him [pope Alexander] but 
little, had very much efteem of him, as a man of wiC- 
dom and extraordinary civility; upon which account the 
princes of Germany, wdio had known him in his nunciature, 
were exceedingly pleated with his promotion. Clarendon 
on Papal Ufurp. 
NUN'CIO, /.' [Ital. from nuncio, Lat.] A mefienger; 
one that brings tidings.—They honoured the nuncios of 
the fpring ; and the Rhodians had a folemn fong to wel¬ 
come in the fwallow. Brown. 
She will attend it better in thy youth 
Than in a nuncio of more grave afpeft. Shahefpmre. 
A kind of fpiritual envoy from the pope.—This man was 
honoured with the charafter of nuncio to the Venetians. 
Attcrhury. 
To NUN'CUPATE, v. a. [nuncupo, Lat.] To declare 
publicl}' or folemnly.—The Gentiles nuncupated vows to 
them, [idols.] WeftfielcVs Serm. 1646.—But how doth 
that will appear ? In what table was it written ? In what 
regifters is it extant ? In whole prefence did St. Reter 
nuncupate it ? Barrow on the Pope’s Supremacy. 
NUNCUPA'TION, f. [ nuncupatio, Lat.] The aft of 
naming. Olfolete. Name of occupation.—The newfpa- 
pers noticed the cafe of this printer or bookfeller, for I 
am not acquainted with his precife nuncupation. Dr. 
Lloyd's Monthly liepof/lory Extraordinary, 1819. 
NUNCUPATIVE, or Nuncupatory, adj. Publicly 
or folemnly declaratory,—The fame appeareth by that 
nuncupative title wherewith both Heathens and Chridians 
have honoured their oaths, in calling their fwearing an 
oath of God. Fotherhy's Atheom. 1C22.—Verbally pro¬ 
nounced; not written. This fenfe is chiefly legal, and 
almoft confined to wills.—Tedaments are divided into 
two forts; written and nuncupative: the latter depends 
merely upon oral evidence, being declared by the teffa- 
tor in extremis before a fufficient number of vvitnelfes, and 
afterwards reduced to writing. Blacltfione. 
NUNDAVERAM', a towm of Hindoodan, in the Car¬ 
natic: eight miles eall-foutii-eaff of Udeghery. 
NUNDI'NA, a goddefs among the ancient heathens, 
fuppofed to have the care of the purification of infants. 
And, becaule male infants were purified nine days after 
their birth, her name is derived from nonus, or the ninth, 
though female infants were purified the eighth day; which 
purification was called luftration by the Romans. 
NUN'DINAL, or Nundinary, adj. [nundinal, Pr. 
from nundhue, Lat.] Belonging to fairs. This name was 
given by the Romans to the eight fil'd letters of tiie alpha¬ 
bet, ufed in their calendar. This feries of eight letters, 
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, is placed and repeated fuccef- 
lively from the fil'd to the lad day of the year: one of 
thefe always exprefied the market-days, or the aifemblies 
called nundince, or novendince, becaule they returned 
every nine days. The country people, after working 
eight days fucceflively, came to town on the ninth, to 
fell their feveral commodities, and to inform themfelves 
of what related to religion and government. Tlrtis, the 
nundinal day being under the letter A, on the id, 9th, 
17th, and 25th, days of January, &c. the letter D will 
be the nundinal letter of the year following. Thefe nun- 
dinals beara very great refemblance to our dominical let¬ 
ters, which return every eight days, as the nundinals did 
every nine. 
To NUN'DINATE, v.n. [ mmdinor, Lat.] To buy and 
fell as at fairs. Cockeram. 
NUNDINA'TION, f. Traffic at fairs and markets; any 
buying and felling.—Witnefs their penitentiary tax, 
wherein a man might fee the price of his fin before-hand; 
their common muUli nation of pardons; their abfolving 
fubjefts from their oaths of allegiance. Bp. Bramhall's 
Schifm guarded. 
NUNDUNGOT'CHY, 
