What is the origin of 'sleep tight'?
Read moreOne of the mysteries of the English language finally explained.
A female employer; also as a term of respect used by a subordinate to address a woman in authority.
Mid 19th century. From South African Dutch, Afrikaans nooi female employer, single Afrikaans woman, girlfriend, perhaps partly from Malay nona, nonah single woman and partly from Malay nonya, nyonya married woman.