Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. an uncle, whether lit. or as an address to or description of an older man [uncle n. (1)].

1589		Lyly Pappe with an Hatchet C3: The babie comes in with Nunka [...] and Dad.
1608		Yorkshire Tragedy I iii: Was this thy journey to Nunk, to set down The history of me, of my estate and fortunes?
1795		Sporting Mag. May VI 114/2: Nunky pays for we footmen; I’ll, sport a spruce nab.
1812		‘George Barnwell Travestie’ in H. Smith Rejected Addresses 120: Make nunky surrender his dibs.
1812		Spirit of Irish Wit 116: ‘Heaven’s and earth,’ said Old Nuncs [...] ‘What’s become of the £10,000 you received at your father’s death?’.
1829		Vidocq Memoirs (trans. W. McGinn) III 55: Drink away, nunky pays for all.
1833		Satirist (London) 6 Jan. 480/2: Nunky Rat too, so well known, / Won’t let me live with such a one,.
1838		Comic Almanack Sept. 151: You can send it per post – and, dear Nunks, / Many thanks for that duck of a goose.
1841		Comic Almanack Dec. 289: Come, nunks, one game at Blindman’s-buff.
1841		W. Leman Rede Sixteen String Jack II i: You’re a dear, good nunky.
1850		Bell’s Life in Sydney 20 Apr. 2/6: Edward Alexander, the nephew, was floored in front of the dock by his ‘nunky’ Sam.
1852		Illus. London News 1 May 23: ‘Ah! Nunks, you were once a young man yourself’.
1854		Thackeray Newcomes I 64: Hallo! That’s my uncle [...] ‘How-dy-do, Nunky’.
1871		Hants. Advertiser 21 Oct.7/6: Nunky keeps a fence's shop.
1880		Henley & Stevenson Deacon Brodie I tab.I vii: We give Nunky Lawson a good deal of brandy—C.S. and Co.’s celebrated Nantz.
1880		Liverpool Mail 5 Sept. 6/5: ‘Nunc,’ said Popsy, still lingering..
1890		‘Rolf Boldrewood’ Colonial Reformer II 137: Old Nunkey used to say that reasonable interest had a knack of growing into unreasonable interest.
1892		‘’Arry in ’Arrygate’ Punch 24 Sept. 133/1: If it hand’t a bin for my nunky, our pal might have just done a croak.
1892		‘’Arry in ’Arrygate’ (Second Letter) Punch 15 Oct. 169/1: ’Ad a letter from nunky, old man, with another small cheque. Good old nunk!
1894		Truth (Sydney) 11 Feb. 1/3: By the way too, the newly made flunkey / [...] / Is Rudyard Kipling’s nunkey.
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 5 May 20/4: [H]e would inherit £20,000 under nunky’s will if she agreed to go through a form of marriage and borrow a baby.
1912		E. Pugh City Of The World 270: Child calls him Nunky.
1917		‘Henry Handel Richardson’ Aus. Felix (1971) 178: Oh yes, Nunkey – dear Nunkey.
1937		Z.N. Hurston Their Eyes Were Watching God (1998) 138: You still love ole Nunkie?
1959		A. Sinclair Breaking of Bumbo (1961) 70: Sit you down, and tell Nunky Jock.
1965		P. Carstairs Concrete Kimono 92: Oh, Nunky, be your age!

2. a pawnbroker.

1921

Daily Colonist (Victoria, B.C.) 5 Apr. 13/5: If you happen to want a ten-dollar bill and trot round the corner to ‘nunky’; why, that’s really not quite done, my dear fellow .

3. a Jew, esp. when a money-lender [from sense 2].

1923

J. Manchon Le Slang.