Where does “ballerina” come from?
Ballerina derives from Italian ballerina, feminine of Italian ballerino, from Italian -ino diminutive suffix, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH- meaning to turn or twist.
ballerina (English): a female ballet dancer; the star female ballet...
Definitions
- a female ballet dancer; the star female ballet...
Ancestry of “ballerina”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italian | ballerina | feminine singular of ballerino; female equivalent... |
| 2 | Italian | ballerino | dancing; unstable; dancer, ballet dancer hoofer |
| 3 | Italian | -ino | Alterative suffix used to form diminutives; Used... |
| 4 | Latin | -īnus | of or pertaining to; -ine |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | -īnos | of/belonging to |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |