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doncella. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
doncella, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
doncella in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
doncella you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish doncella (“maid”). Doublet of damsel, demoiselle, and donzella.
Noun
doncella (plural doncellas)
- A fish of Florida and the West Indies (Halichoeres radiatus).
- A ladyfish (Bodianus rufus) of the same region.
References
Spanish
Etymology
From a Vulgar Latin *domnicella (compare Old Occitan donçela, Portuguese donzela, French demoiselle), based on Latin domina (“lady, mistress”). Doublet of damisela.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): (most of Spain) /donˈθeʝa/
- IPA(key): (rural northern Spain) /donˈθeʎa/
- IPA(key): (Latin America) /donˈseʝa/
- IPA(key): (most of Latin America) /donˈseʝa/
- IPA(key): (Andes Mountains, Paraguay, Philippines) /donˈseʎa/
- IPA(key): (Buenos Aires and environs) /donˈseʃa/
- IPA(key): (elsewhere in Argentina and Uruguay) /donˈseʒa/
- Syllabification: don‧ce‧lla
Noun
doncella f (plural doncellas)
- maid, maiden, damsel (girl or an unmarried young woman)
- abigail, lady's maid (female servant employed by an upper-class woman to attend to her personal needs)
- Mediterranean rainbow wrasse (Coris julis)
Derived terms
Further reading