-ello

Forms

-ello m (noun-forming suffix, plural -elli, feminine -ella)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin -ellus, the Latin diminutive suffix.^[2][3][4][1] Sabatini–Coletti explains the Latin suffix as a contraction of an older -erulus, the diminutive -ulus added to stems ending in -r-, with loss of the -u- and assimilation of the -r-.^[5] Wiktionary describes it as a rebracketing of diminutives such as libellus, from liber, and fēmella, from fēmina, in which a stem -n- or -r- was assimilated to the -l-; the OLD likewise treats it as an enlargement of -lus taken from words such as asellus and agellus.^[1][6] In Latin it was often added to stems that already had the diminutive -ulus, as in anellus.^[6]

Semantic evolution

Many Italian words in -ello come from Latin diminutives whose diminutive sense was lost long ago: agnello, coltello, fratello, martello, sorella.^[4] As a living suffix it forms diminutives of nouns, usually with an affectionate tone: asinello, paesello, fontanella, alberello.^[2][3][4] With adjectives it can soften the meaning, “rather, somewhat”, as in cattivello, and now and then it is disparaging, as in storiella.^[7][4]

The suffix also appears in longer forms: -cello or -icello (campicello, venticello, bastoncello) and -erello, regionally -arello (fatterello, vocerella).^[4][8][1] In the plural it is frequent in Italian surnames, where it marked a forebear who was small, the youngest of several with the same name, or, ironically, very large.^[1]

English once used the Italian suffix in ministello (1659), a contemptuous word for a petty minister.^[9]

Timeline

• 1659 – English ministello, “a petty minister”, is recorded.^[9]

Meanings

Suffix

1. Forms diminutives of nouns, often with an affectionate tone: asinello, paesello.^[2][3][5][1]
2. Forms diminutives of adjectives with an attenuative sense, “rather”: cattivello.^[7][5][4]
3. Now and then forms pejorative words: storiella.^[4]

Related words

• -cello
• -erello
• -ino
• -etto
• Latin -ellus

Usage notes

The feminine is -ella and the plurals -elli, -elle.^[1] Words with the suffix have an open stressed vowel, /ˈɛl.lo/.^[1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
3. ^ a b c Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b c d e f g Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
5. ^ a b c Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
6. ^ a b Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
7. ^ a b Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
8. ^ Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
9. ^ a b Stammerjohann, Harro, et al. (2008), Dizionario di italianismi in francese, inglese, tedesco, Firenze: Accademia della Crusca; online at difit.italianisticaonline.it