-илка

Bulgarian

Etymology

Diminutive form of Bulgarian -ило (-ilo) + -ка (-ka), built upon the instrumental suffix Proto-Slavic *-dlo. In some cases, both the base form in -ило (-ilo) and the diminutive form in -илка (-ilka) are attested, e.g.:

обеся (obesja, “to gibbet”) → бесило (besilo, “gibbet”) → бесилка (besilka, “gibbet, gallows”).

Occasionally, the suffix can be applied on loanwords ending on -(и)л-, e.g.:

French bouteille → Bulgarian бутилка (butilka, “bottle”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [-iɫkɐ]

• Audio:

  (file)

Suffix

-илка • (-ilka) f

1. Deverbal, forming feminine instrumental or effect nouns.

   храня (hranja, “to feed”) → хранилка (hranilka, “feeder, feeding trough”)

   поя (poja, “to quench”) → поилка (poilka, “quencher, quenching trough”)

   остря (ostrja, “to sharpen”) → острилка (ostrilka, “pencil sharpener”)

   мътя (mǎtja, “to stir, to rumple”) → мътилка (mǎtilka, “sludge”)

2. Denominal, forming feminine instrumental or object nouns, probably via an intermediate (often obsolete) causative verb.

   кост (kost, “bone”) → костя (kostja, “to get rid of bones”) (obsolete) → костилка (kostilka, “pyrene”)

   мас (mas, “ointment, liniment”) → *мазя (*mazja) → мазилка (mazilka, “coating (of wall), plaster”)

Related terms

• -лка (-lka), -лица (-lica)
• -алка (-alka), -алица (-alica)
• -елка (-elka), -елица (-elica)
• -улка (-ulka)