See also: inho

Portuguese

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Old Galician-Portuguese -ỹo, from Latin -īnus (of or relating to). Compare Italian -ino, French -in, both diminutive suffixes. Doublet of -ino.

Pronunciation

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Suffix

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-inho m (noun-forming suffix, plural -inhos, feminine -inha, feminine plural -inhas)

  1. forms the diminutive of nouns; -ie; -y; -ling; -let
    Synonym: see :Category:Portuguese diminutive suffixes
    1. indicates smallness, shortness, youth, fewness, etc.
      casa (house) + ‎-inha → ‎casinha (small house)
      criança (child) + ‎-inha → ‎criancinha (young child)
      texto (text) + ‎-inho → ‎textinho (short text)
      pipoca (popcorn) + ‎-inha → ‎pipoquinha (a small portion of popcorn)
      Synonyms: -culo, -ete, -ito, -ulo
      Antonym: -ão
    2. belittles the suffixed noun; -let
      time (sports team) + ‎-inho → ‎timinho (a bad sports team)
      país (country; nation) + ‎-inho → ‎paisinho (a country of little importance; a powerless country)
      Synonyms: -culo, -eco, -ilho
    3. indicates affection; -ie; -y
      cachorro (dog) + ‎-inho → ‎cachorrinho (doggy)
      terra (homeland) + ‎-inho → ‎terrinha (land; country)

Suffix

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-inho (adjective-forming suffix, feminine -inha, masculine plural -inhos, feminine plural -inhas)

  1. (somewhat informal) forms the diminutive of adjectives and adverbs, roughly equivalent to English somewhat or kind of
    Synonym: meio
    grande (big) + ‎-inho → ‎grandinho (somewhat big)

Suffix

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-inho (adjective-like pronoun-forming suffix, feminine -inha, masculine plural -inhos, feminine plural -inhas)

  1. (informal) forms the diminutive of pronouns
    1. indicates smallness
      aquele (that one) + ‎-z- -inho → ‎aquelezinho (that small one)
      Synonym: mesmo
    2. intensifies or emphasises personal pronouns
      eu (I) + ‎-z- -inho → ‎euzinho (I … myself)

Suffix

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-inho

  1. (Brazil, colloquial, regional) forms the diminutive of gerunds, indicating a lack of intensity or seriousness
    chovendo (raining) + ‎-inho → ‎chovendinho (drizzling)
    namorando (dating) + ‎-inho → ‎namorandinho (having an uncommitted romantic relationship)

Usage notes

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  • In some suffixed words that have unusual endings (notably plural -ões and feminine -o), the suffix does not necessarily replace the final element:
  • -inho, -ão and -mente consistently do not alter vowel quality in the root:
    • certo (accurate) + ‎-inho → ‎certinho (precisely correct (with /ɛ/)) (compare certeiro, with /e/ or /ɨ/)

Derived terms

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