muñeca

Etymology

Inherited from Old Spanish munneca, from Old Spanish monneka (“milestone or landmark”) (a. 1011), from Paleo-Hispanic, possibly pre-Indo-European.

Compare Basque muino (“hill”). Its original meaning was first 'milestone or landmark', then 'protuberance', from which both senses of 'wrist' and 'doll' come. Some have suggested it may have originated from monnula (“(female) friend”). Compare Spanish moño (“a bow, ribbon”) and muñón (“stump”); see also Portuguese boneca (“doll”). Attested as early as 1011, first attested as 'doll' in 1400.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /muˈɲeka/ [muˈɲe.ka]
Audio (Colombia): (file)
Rhymes: -eka
Syllabification: mu‧ñe‧ca

Noun

muñeca f (plural muñecas)

(anatomy) wrist
Synonym: carpo
female equivalent of muñeco (“doll”)

Derived terms

Related terms

Descendants

→ Aymara: muñik’a
→ Bikol Central: munyeka
→ Catalan: monyeca
→ Chamorro: muñeka
→ Galician: boneca
→ Hiligaynon: monyeka
→ Moroccan Arabic: منيكة (munīka)
→ Portuguese: boneca, bonecra (obsolete or regional)
- → Malay: boneka
  - Indonesian: boneka
- → Tetum: boneka
→ Portuguese: munheca
→ Tagalog: manyika
→ Tausug: munyika'