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-cilla. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
-cilla, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
-cilla in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
-cilla you have here. The definition of the word
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Spanish
Etymology
From -c-, a formant found originally in Latin -culus (rebracketed from -ulus added to nouns ending in -cus), + -illa.
Suffix
-cilla f (noun-forming suffix, plural -cillas)
- Alternative form of -cillo; added to feminine nouns to form diminutives
- mujer (“woman”) + -cilla → mujercilla (“small woman”)
- fuente (“spring, fountain”) + -cilla → fuentecilla (“small spring, small fountain”)
- canción (“song”) + -cilla → cancioncilla (“ditty, tune”)
- nube (“cloud”) + -cilla → nubecilla (“small cloud”)
- reñir (“to fight, to quarrel”) + -cilla → rencilla (“quarrel, row”)
- pobre (“poor”) + -cilla → pobrecilla (“poor thing (referring to a female)”)
- pastora (“shepherdess”) + -cilla → pastorcilla (“little shepherdess”)
- gente (“people”) + -cilla → gentecilla (“proletariat, riffraff (derogatory)”)
Usage notes
- In most cases, -ecilla is used simply to indicate a small or endeared thing, without changing the basic meaning of the noun; however, in some cases, it is used to effect a greater change in meaning, as shown in the examples above.
Derived terms
See also
Further reading