-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

  1. 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”)
  2. (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
  1. "-ίτσα" - Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], 1998, by the "Triantafyllidis" Foundation.
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