Etymology: < Italian -ina and its etymon classical Latin -īna, feminine suffix (in e.g. regīna queen: see Regina n.), used to form feminine titles. Compare -ine suffix3.In some instances perhaps also partly via the equivalent Spanish suffix -ina. Recorded earliest in Old English in the Latin loanword Regina n. In the early 18th century used in tsarina n. to form an equivalent to the forms of the title used in other European languages (see discussion at that entry), and subsequently found in the 18th century in the Italian loanwords signorina n., ballerina n., and (probably) marquesina n. In the early 19th century squirina n. shows a (playful) formation on an English word. Compare also the occurrence of the same ending in some female forenames, as Alexandrina , Angelina , Christina , Clementina , Georgina , Thomasina , Wilhelmina , etc. Found in the names of musical instruments from at least the early 19th century (e.g. aeolina n., concertina n.). The same Latin suffix also occurs in scientific Latin genus names which have been borrowed into English, as Meandrina Meandrina n., Smilacina smilacina n., Spirulina spirulina n. Occasional use in English in forming other plant names, such as pepperina n., may perhaps have been suggested by names such as these.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2021; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
suffix