eñe

the letter ñ

noun EH-nyeh Rare

Origin: The name derives from the letter itself, ñ, which evolved from a medieval double-n (nn) digraph.

Usage Note

Eñe is the official name of the letter ñ, unique to the Spanish alphabet and regarded as a symbol of the language's identity — hence the phrase el español, la lengua de la eñe. It is feminine: la eñe. The letter represents the palatal nasal sound /ɲ/, found in words like mañana and España. Debates about its removal from keyboards sparked significant cultural backlash in the 1990s.

Examples

"La eñe es una letra exclusiva del español."

Natural Translation

The ñ is a letter unique to Spanish.

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