Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
-illa. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
-illa, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
-illa in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
-illa you have here. The definition of the word
-illa will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
-illa, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Catalan
Suffix
-illa f (noun-forming suffix, plural -illes)
- diminutive suffix for feminine nouns
- forms feminine nouns meaning "type of"
Derived terms
Further reading
Finnish
Etymology
Originally a variant of -ella used on verbs ending in -ata, -ota, -ätä, having developed by vowel contraction: -Aðele- (-oðele-) > -A.ele- (-o.ele-) > -Aile- (-oile-). Denominal use has been innovated in literary Finnish in the 20th century.
Suffix
-illa (front vowel harmony variant -illä, stem -ile-, linguistic notation -ile- or -illA)
- Forms frequentative verbs. The resulting verb often describes a more or less leisurely or long-lasting activity, or an activity that is not overly goal-oriented.
- salata (“to keep a secret”) + -illa → salailla (“to be secretive”)
- Forms action verbs which denote an activity closely related with a noun.
- auto (“car”) + -illa → autoilla (“to drive a car”) (but not ˣautota)
- maja (“hut”) + -illa → majailla (“to stay temporarily”) (but not ˣmajata)
- pallo (“ball”) + -illa → palloilla (“to play a ball game”) (but not ˣpallota)
Derived terms
See also
References
- Hakulinen, Lauri. 1941–2000. Suomen kielen rakenne ja kehitys ('The Structure and Development of the Finnish Language'). Helsinki: Otava/Helsingin yliopisto.
Anagrams
Latin
Suffix
-illa
- inflection of -illus:
- nominative/vocative feminine singular
- nominative/accusative/vocative neuter plural
Suffix
-illā
- ablative feminine singular of -illus
Spanish
Alternative forms
- -illo (with masculine nouns)
Etymology
Inherited from Old Spanish -iella, from Latin -ella.
Suffix
-illa f (noun-forming suffix, plural -illas)
- added to feminine nouns to denote a diminutive form
- Synonyms: -ita, -cita
- Coordinate term: -illo
Usage notes
- If the noun has a final vowel (usually -a), it is dropped before adding -illa.
- In most cases, -illa 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, such as bombilla (“light-bulb”), from bomba (“bomb”).
- Different nouns tend to prefer different diminutive suffixes (see synonyms), though some nouns accept multiple diminutives and there is often regional or personal variation.
- For masculine nouns ending in “-a”, there is some alternation between the gender-reflecting diminutive -illo and the ending-reflecting diminutive -illa. When the latter is used, -ill- may be considered an infix.
Derived terms
Further reading