-ίτσα
Greek
Etymology
Feminine diminutive, inherited from the mediaeval Byzantine Greek -ίτσα (-ítsa), formed from -ίτσ(ιν) (-íts(in)) + -α (-a), from Byzantine Greek -ίκιν (-íkin), -ίκιον (-íkion); for this compare Greek κορίτσι (korítsi). Alternatively, from shortening of -ίτισσα (-ítissa), the feminine form of Ancient Greek -ίτης (-ítēs), as in Greek ξενομερίτισσα (xenomerítissa, “female newcomer”) and Pontic Greek ξενομερίτσα (xenomerítsa). For placenames and some proper nouns sometimes borrowed from Proto-Slavic *-ica, as in Γρανίτσα (Granítsa).[1]
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈitsa/
- Hyphenation: -ί‧τσα
Suffix
-ίτσα • (-ítsa) f
- added to a (usually feminine) noun to create diminutive nouns:
- Ελένη (Eléni, “Helen”) + -ίτσα (-ítsa) → Ελενίτσα (Elenítsa)
- αγελάδα (ageláda, “cow”) + -ίτσα (-ítsa) → αγελαδίτσα (ageladítsa, “heifer”)
- καρέκλα (karékla, “chair”) + -ίτσα (-ítsa) → καρεκλίτσα (kareklítsa)
- καρφί (karfí, “nail”) + -ίτσα (-ítsa) → καρφίτσα (karfítsa, “drawing pin, thumbtack”)
- κούκλα (koúkla, “doll”) + -ίτσα (-ítsa) → κουκλίτσα (kouklítsa, “dolly”)
- (rare) used in place names of Slavic origin:
- καρδιά (kardiá, “heart”) + -ίτσα (-ítsa) → Καρδίτσα (Kardítsa)
Declension
declension of -ίτσα
| case \\ number | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | -ίτσα • | -ίτσες • |
| genitive | -ίτσας • | — |
| accusative | -ίτσα • | -ίτσες • |
| vocative | -ίτσα • | -ίτσες • |
Synonyms
- -άκι (-áki) (used chiefly with neuter nouns)
Derived terms
Greek terms suffixed with -ίτσα
References
- "-ίτσα" - Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], 1998, by the "Triantafyllidis" Foundation.