-ellus
Latin
Etymology
By rebracketing of diminutives such as libellus (liber + -lus) or fēmella (fēmina + -la), where the stem consonants -n- and -r- shifted to -l- by regressive assimilation; or diminutives of diminutives such as porcellus (porculus + -lus).
Pronunciation
- (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [ɛl.lʊs]
- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [el.lus]
Suffix
-ellus (feminine -ella, neuter -ellum); first/second-declension suffix
- alternative form of -ulus
Usage notes
The suffix -ellus is added to a noun to form a diminutive of that noun.
- calamus (“reed”) + -ellus → calamellus (“little reed or pen”)
When added to an adjective, it forms a diminutive of that adjective.
Declension
First/second-declension adjective.
| singular | plural | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | feminine | neuter | masculine | feminine | neuter | ||
| nominative | -ellus | -ella | -ellum | -ellī | -ellae | -ella | |
| genitive | -ellī | -ellae | -ellī | -ellōrum | -ellārum | -ellōrum | |
| dative | -ellō | -ellae | -ellō | -ellīs | |||
| accusative | -ellum | -ellam | -ellum | -ellōs | -ellās | -ella | |
| ablative | -ellō | -ellā | -ellō | -ellīs | |||
| vocative | -elle | -ella | -ellum | -ellī | -ellae | -ella | |
Derived terms
Latin terms suffixed with -ellus
Descendants
- Aromanian: -el, -ãl
- Catalan: -ell
- Extremaduran: -illu
- Franco-Provençal: -él
- Old French: -el
- Galician: -elo
- Italian: -ello
- Occitan: -el
- Portuguese: -elo
- Romanian: -el
- Sardinian: -eddu
- Old Leonese: -iello
- Asturian: -iellu, -ieḷḷu,-iillu (Mining Basins, Peñes)
- Leonese: -iellu
- Mirandese: -ielho
- Old Spanish: -iello
- Spanish: -illo
- Spanish: -elo, -el
- Sicilian: -eḍḍu