meninho

Old Galician-Portuguese

Alternative forms

• minhinho
• meninno, menỹo

Etymology

Unknown. Possibly from Latin minimus; compare the Spanish phrase mi niño. Or, possibly an expressive cry, compared with Catalan minyó (“boy”), French mignon (“cute”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /me.ˈni.ɲo/, /me.ˈnĩ.j̃o/, /mi.ˈni.ɲo/, /mi.ˈnĩ.j̃o/

Adjective

meninho m (plural meninhos, feminine meninha, feminine plural meninhas)

1. young

Noun

meninho m (plural meninhos, feminine meninha, feminine plural meninhas)

1. boy (young male human)
   • 13th century CE, Alfonso X of Castile, Cantigas de Santa Maria, E codex, cantiga 6 (facsimile):

     Eſta e como ſanta maria reſſucitou ao menỹo que o Judeu matara por que cantaua Gaude uirgo maria.

     This one is how Holy Mary resurrected the boy who the Jew had killed because he sang Gaude Virgo Maria.

Descendants

• Galician: meniño
• Portuguese: menino (see there for further descendants)

Further reading

• Universo Cantigas - "meninho₁~mininho₁"