donzella

English

Etymology

From Italian donzella, from Old Occitan donçela, donsela, from Vulgar Latin *domnicella. Compare donzel. Doublet of damsel, demoiselle, and doncella.

Noun

donzella (plural donzellas)

1. (obsolete) A female donzel.

Catalan

Etymology

Inherited from Vulgar Latin *domnicella, diminutive of *domna, from Latin domina.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [dunˈze.ʎə]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [donˈze.ʎə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencian) [donˈze.ʎa]

Noun

donzella f (plural donzelles)

1. maiden, damsel
2. (botany) vinca

   Synonym: pervinca

3. Mediterranean rainbow wrasse (Coris julis)

   Synonyms: guiula, juliola, senyoreta

Further reading

• “donzella” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “donzella” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Old Occitan donçela, donsela, from Vulgar Latin *domnicella, from Classical Latin domina (“mistress”), from domus (“house”), from Proto-Indo-European *dṓm, from root *dem- (“to build”). Doublet of damigella.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /donˈd͡zɛl.la/
• Rhymes: -ɛlla
• Hyphenation: don‧zèl‧la

Noun

donzella f (plural donzelle)

1. (literary) maiden, damsel

   Synonyms: giovinetta, signorina

2. name of several species of fish in the Labridae taxonomic family:
   1. Mediterranean rainbow wrasse (Coris julis)

      Synonyms: (southern Italy) cazzo di re, garusa, girella, pesce donzella, zingarella

Related terms

• donna
• donzello

 

Further reading

• donzella in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana