muñeca

Spanish

Etymology

From Old Spanish munneca, from Old Spanish monneka (“milestone or landmark”) (a. 1011), from a pre-Roman language, possibly a pre-Indo-European substrate. Compare Basque muino (“hill”). Its original meaning was first 'milestone or landmark', then 'protuberance', from which both senses of 'wrist' and 'doll' come. Some have suggested it may have originated from monnula (“(female) friend”). Compare Spanish moño (“a bow, ribbon”) and muñón (“stump”); see also Portuguese boneca (“doll”). Attested as early as 1011, first attested as 'doll' in 1400.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /muˈɲeka/ [muˈɲe.ka]

• Audio (Colombia):

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Noun

muñeca f (plural muñecas)

1. (anatomy) wrist

   Synonym: carpo

2. doll (figure)
3. (colloquial) chick, babe, doll (attractive woman)

Derived terms

• muñeca rusa
• muñeca vudú
• muñequera
• muñequero
• reposamuñecas

 

Related terms

• muñeco
• moño
• muñón

Descendants

• → Bikol Central: munyeka
• → Catalan: monyeca
• → Chamorro: muñeka
• → Galician: boneca
• → Moroccan Arabic: منيكة (munīka)
• → Portuguese: boneca, bonecra (obsolete or regional)
  • → Malay: boneka
    • Indonesian: boneka
  • → Tetum: boneka
• Tagalog: manyika

Further reading

• “muñeca”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014