Description:

The term 'nof' is the Old Common word for 'dough'. In modern High Common, the base meaning has moved to the cooked product, and 'nof' is used to refer to bread and cake. The Old Common word for 'bread', 'porot', is archaic and no longer used. The sense of 'dough' has been substantially displaced by 'xoffu', 'mix', but the sense of 'dough' or 'paste' can still be used.

Noun:

As a noun, 'nof' means bread or cake, with a possible usage as dough, especially with the modifier phrase 'ik weros', 'unmade', added.

'Nof' is also a popular expression for livelihood, job, work or money - it is slightly colloquial and informal, but not terribly so.

Verb:

As a verb, 'nof' is an intransitive pali verb meaning to make bread or cake, to bake, and is also a colloquial expression for 'to be working', with the implication and focus of doing what you must to make a living. It can also have a sense of 'prepare'. In the sense of baking, this is not the verb you would use if you need to specify what you are baking, it is generally used intransitively to focus on the state of activity of the absolutive subject. A thing baked can be added as a preopositional phrase introduced by the null preposition, and a purpose of the activity can be added instruduced with the preposition 'u'.

Modifier:

The modifier form 'nofys' owes to the original meaning of 'nof' as 'dough' - it means 'doughy', ;having the consistency of dough'.