See also: ello, Ello, 'ello, and eļļõ

Italian

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Latin -ellus.

Pronunciation

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Suffix

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-ello m (noun-forming suffix, plural -elli, feminine -ella)

  1. suffix used to form noun diminutives from nouns (including proper nouns) and sometimes adjectives and verbs, often with a meliorative or hypocoristic sense
    paese (town, village) + ‎-ello → ‎paesello (small village)
    asino (donkey) + ‎-ello → ‎asinello (small donkey)
    carro (wagon, cart) + ‎-ello → ‎carrello (trolley, hopper, etc.)
    teppista (thug, hoodlum) + ‎-ello → ‎teppistello (young thug)
    fortuna (luck) + ‎-ello → ‎fortunello (lucky devil)
    crusca (bran) + ‎-ello → ‎cruschello (fine bran)
    sfrontato (impudent, shameless) + ‎-ello → ‎sfontatello (brat)
    trovato (found, discovered) + ‎-ello → ‎trovatello (foundling)
    spogliare (to strip) + ‎-ello → ‎spogliarello (striptease)
  2. this suffix was often pluralized in the formation of Italian surnames, in this case indicating a progenitor who was either endearing, the youngest of two or more with the same name, a man of small stature, or ironically a man of very large stature
    Antonello (dear, young or smallish Anthony) + ‎-ello → ‎Antonelli (those (descended from) the smallish or dear man named Anthony)
    Giacovello (dear, young or smallish Jacob) + ‎-ello → ‎Giacovelli (those descended from the young or dear man named Jacob)
    Gianello (dear, young or smallish John) + ‎-ello → ‎Gianelli (those descended from "little John" or a dear man named John)

Suffix

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-ello (adjective-forming suffix, feminine -ella, masculine plural -elli, feminine plural -elle)

  1. suffix used to form diminutives of adjectives, often with a meliorative or hypocoristic sense
    stupido (stupid) + ‎-ello → ‎stupidello (silly, goofy)

Derived terms

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Anagrams

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Latin

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Suffix

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-ellō

  1. dative/ablative masculine/neuter singular of -ellus