ballerina
UK[ˌbæləˈriːnə]US[ˌbæləˈriːnə]
n
A female ballet dancer, especially one who has a leading role in a company.
Morpheme Breakdown
ball
erina
ball
dance
erina
feminine agent suffix
Etymology
The word 'ballerina' is a direct Italian loanword, entering English in the late 18th century. Its core, 'ball-', traces back to the Late Latin verb 'ballare', meaning 'to dance', which itself is likely derived from the Greek 'ballizein' (to dance, jump). The suffix '-erina' is a distinctly Italian feminine agentive ending, specifying a female practitioner. Thus, the literal construction 'ballerina' logically means 'a female dancer', a meaning perfectly preserved in its modern, specialized use for a principal female ballet dancer.
Analysis
Structure: ball (dance) + erina (feminine agent suffix)
- ball: From Italian 'ballare', meaning 'to dance'. Origin: Late Latin 'ballare', from Greek 'ballizein'.
- erina: An Italian feminine agent suffix, equivalent to '-er' or '-ine' in English, indicating a female person associated with an action.
Examples
The young ballerina performed the lead role in Swan Lake with breathtaking grace.
She trained for decades to become a prima ballerina with the national ballet company.
The documentary followed the life of a retired ballerina who now teaches master classes.