miñaxoia

Galician

Etymology

Attested since 1750. From miña +‎ xoia, "my jewel".

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [miɲaˈʃɔjɐ]

Noun

miñaxoia m or f by sense (plural miñaxoias)

1. (endearing or patronizing) poor thing

   Synonyms: coitado, pobriño

   • 1807, anonymous author, Primeiro diálogo dos esterqueiros:

     ¡miña xoia! aquel Señor non berraba con ninguén, dabame sempre e decote una gran cunca de caldo, ou bo taliso de pan, e moitas veces un trago. ¡Aquel si que xa era Amo!

     Poor thing! that sir would argue with not one; he'll give me always and daily a large bowl of broth, or a good piece of bread, and frequently a swig. That was a lord!

2. (figurative, ironically) mean person

References

• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “miñaxoia”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “miñaxoia”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “miñaxoia”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN