menina
See also: meniña
Portuguese
Etymology
From Old Portuguese menynna, from menynno.
Pronunciation
- (Brazil) IPA(key): /meˈnĩ.nɐ/, /miˈnĩ.nɐ/
- (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /meˈni.na/
- (Portugal) IPA(key): /mɨˈni.nɐ/
- Hyphenation: me‧ni‧na
Noun
menina f (plural meninas)
- girl (female child)
- Doutor, é menino ou menina?
- Doctor, is it a boy or a girl?
- Synonyms: garota, (Portugal) rapariga, moça, miúda, cachopa, guria
- young lady, miss (a title of respect for an unmarried young woman)
- Pode sentar-se aqui, menina.
- You may sit here, miss.
- (derogatory) an effeminate boy
- (Portugal, euphemistic, usually in the plural) prostitute
- Ele tornou-se frequentador assíduo de casas de meninas.
- He became a regular frequenter of houses of girls [brothels].
- Synonyms: prostituta, (Brazil) rapariga
Descendants
- Spanish: menina
Spanish
Etymology
From Portuguese menina (“girl”), from Old Portuguese menynna, from menynno (“boy”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /meˈnina/ [meˈni.na]
- Rhymes: -ina
- Syllabification: me‧ni‧na
Noun
menina f (plural meninas)
- a court maid of honour
Usage notes
- Not to be confused with niña (“girl”).
Further reading
- “menino”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014