A2noun
دُنْيَا
dunyā
worldly life / this world
Example
وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ
wa-mā al-ḥayātu ad-dunyā illā matāʿu al-ghurūr
And the worldly life is nothing but the enjoyment of delusion (3:185)
Grammar
Feminine noun (originally an adjective meaning 'nearer/lower'). From دَنَا (to be near/low). Called dunyā because it is the 'nearer' life (compared to the ākhirah) and 'lower' in rank.
Culture
The etymology reveals the Quranic worldview: this life is both 'near' (temporary, at hand) and 'low' (less valuable than the eternal Hereafter).