kitchenette
UK[ˌkɪtʃɪˈnet]US[ˌkɪtʃɪˈnet]
n
a small kitchen or part of a room used as a kitchen.
Morpheme Breakdown
kitchen
ette
kitchen
cooking place
ette
small
Etymology
the word 'kitchenette' is a modern english formation, combining the established english word 'kitchen' with the french diminutive suffix '-ette'. the suffix '-ette', derived from latin '-itta', was adopted into french to create nouns indicating a smaller or feminine version. this pattern was productively borrowed into english, where it attaches to nouns to denote a diminutive form. thus, the literal construction 'small kitchen' perfectly captures the word's meaning, illustrating a clear and logical process of word formation through suffixation.
Analysis
Structure: kitchen + ette
kitchen (from old english 'cycene', meaning 'cooking place'); ette (from french diminutive suffix '-ette', meaning 'small').
Examples
the studio apartment has a compact kitchenette with a mini-fridge and a two-burner stove.
they served coffee from a kitchenette set up in the corner of the conference room.
the hotel suite featured a separate kitchenette, allowing guests to prepare light meals.