doncella

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English

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish doncella (maid). Doublet of damsel, demoiselle, and donzella.

Noun

doncella (plural doncellas)

  1. A fish of Florida and the West Indies (Halichoeres radiatus).
  2. A ladyfish (Bodianus rufus) of the same region.

References

Spanish

Etymology

From a Vulgar Latin *domnicilla (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): (most of Latin America) /donˈseʝa/
  • IPA(key): (Andes Mountains) /donˈseʎa/
  • IPA(key): (Buenos Aires and environs) /donˈseʃa/
  • IPA(key): (elsewhere in Argentina and Uruguay) /donˈseʒa/

 
  • (most of Spain and Latin America) Rhymes: -eʝa
  • (rural northern Spain, Andes Mountains) Rhymes: -eʎa
  • (Buenos Aires and environs) Rhymes: -eʃa
  • (elsewhere in Argentina and Uruguay) Rhymes: -eʒa

  • Syllabification: don‧ce‧lla

Noun

doncella f (plural doncellas)

  1. maid, maiden, damsel (girl or an unmarried young woman)
  2. abigail, lady's maid (female servant employed by an upper-class woman to attend to her personal needs)
  3. Mediterranean rainbow wrasse (Coris julis)

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading