nyahint.n.adj.
/njɑː/, /nja/, U.S. /njɑ/, /njæ/ A. int.
Expressing the speaker's feeling of superiority or contempt for another. (Frequently reduplicated).
ΚΠ
1906 E. Nesbit Railway Children viii. 163 ‘I do think you might have given the roses for nothing,’ said Bobbie, indignantly. ‘Nyang, nyang!’ said Peter, disagreeably.
1942 Unknown Worlds 6 66 Well, who are you and how do you know so much Nya-a-a-ah!
1977 M. French Women's Room viii. 85 Mommy's going to buy me a whole new pad, nyaahhh!
1996 South China Morning Post (Hong kong) (Nexis) 14 Sept. 16 Nyah-nyah, four eyes! You're a ! without your badge and I'm going to kick your ! head in.
B. n.
A taunt of ‘nyah’; a scornful, sneering attitude. (Frequently reduplicated).
ΚΠ
1943 Washington Post 18 Apr. s3/1 In many barracks overseas is a special bulletin board, covered with languorous poses of beauteous ladies... Every luscious lovely has a moustache or goatee painted on her glamorous countenance. This is the soldier's version of ‘Nyah, nyah’ or nose-thumbing.
1979 Washington Post (Nexis) 3 Aug. 13 It [sc. a song] fairly reeks of nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah.
1995 Roanoke Times & World News (Va.) (Nexis) 13 Jan. a8 The titters and ‘nyah, nyahs’..reflected Democrats' initial flush of partisan one-upmanship.
C. adj.
Characteristic of a taunt of ‘nyah’; sneering, scornful. (Frequently reduplicated).
ΚΠ
1977 Washington Post (Nexis) 9 Nov. c9 The ‘nyah, nyah’ punk vocal quality.
1982 Washington Post (Nexis) 4 Mar. c11 In her best nyah-nyah voice, Patty Donahue taunts: ‘I know what the guys want’.
2000 New Yorker 12 June 79/2 Rocker's comments..have set off a nyah-nyah version of the Civil War, waged in sports speak.
2002 Record (Bergen County, New Jersey) (Nexis) 22 Apr. 107 United We March is sort of a nyah-nyah, in-your-face rebuttal to United We Stand.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, March 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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int.n.adj.1906