zitellanoun
Factsheet
What does the noun zitella mean?
There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun zitella. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.
How common is the noun zitella?
| 1750 | 0.0052 |
| 1760 | 0.0054 |
| 1770 | 0.0045 |
| 1780 | 0.004 |
| 1790 | 0.0038 |
| 1800 | 0.0022 |
| 1810 | 0.003 |
| 1820 | 0.0034 |
| 1830 | 0.0029 |
| 1840 | 0.0031 |
| 1850 | 0.0035 |
| 1860 | 0.0034 |
| 1870 | 0.0035 |
| 1880 | 0.0028 |
| 1890 | 0.0029 |
| 1900 | 0.0029 |
| 1910 | 0.0028 |
| 1920 | 0.0029 |
| 1930 | 0.0027 |
| 1940 | 0.0023 |
| 1950 | 0.0025 |
| 1960 | 0.0024 |
| 1970 | 0.0026 |
| 1980 | 0.003 |
| 1990 | 0.0028 |
| 2000 | 0.003 |
| 2010 | 0.0032 |
How is the noun zitella pronounced?
British English
U.S. English
Where does the noun zitella come from?
Earliest known use
mid 1600s
The earliest known use of the noun zitella is in the mid 1600s.
OED's earliest evidence for zitella is from before 1660, in a diary entry by John Evelyn, diarist and writer.
zitella is a borrowing from Italian.
Etymons: Italian zitella, citella.
Nearby entries
- zirconitic, adj.1883–
- zirconium, n.1808–
- zircon-like, adj.1857–
- zircono-, comb. form
- zirconolite, n.1957–
- zircon-syenite, n.1813–
- zirconyl, n.1887–
- zirkelite, n.1895–
- zit, n.1912–
- zit cream, n.1968–
- zitella, n.a1660–
- zit-face, n.1974–
- zit-faced, adj.1971–
- zither, n.1831–
- zither, v.1889–
- zither banjo, n.1888–
- zithering, adj.1889–
- zitherist, n.1866–
- zither-like, adj.1881–
- ziti, n.1845–
- zitty, adj.1971–
Etymology
Summary
Notes
Meaning & use
- a1660–In Italian contexts: a young woman, spec. one who is unmarried or a virgin.
- a1660
The Zitelle..walked in Procession to s: Peter, where the
were shew'd the Veronica. J. Evelyn, Diary anno 1645 (1955) vol. II. 292 - 1670
The Procession of the Zitelle vpon our Ladyes day in Lent.
S. Wilson, Lassels's Voyage of Italy (new edition) ii. 250 - 1679
A Curtizan! and a Zittella too? a pretty contradiction!
A. Behn, Feign'd Curtizans iii. i. 24 - 1886
There were..dancing men in black and white, zingaras from Granada, and zitellas from Naples.
B. Roosevelt, Copper Queen vol. III. iii. 55 - 2017
‘The bosses thought that stealing from three zitelle would be like stealing candy from a baby,’ says Irene, ‘but this time they messed with the wrong zitelle.’
Guardian (Nexis) 14 October
- daughterOld English–1817With no implication of familial relationship: a girl, a maiden, a young woman. Obsolete.
- maidenOld English–A girl; a young (unmarried) woman; = maid, n.¹ I.2a. Also: †a female infant (obsolete). Now chiefly literary, archaic, and regional.
- young womanOld English–A woman who is young; an adolescent or young adult female.
- mayc1175–A maiden; a virgin; a young woman.
- burdc1225–1897A noblewoman, a lady; the female counterpart of berne (berne, n.). In later use chiefly: a young lady, a maiden. Frequently as a form of address…
- maidc1275–A girl; a young (unmarried) woman; = maiden, n. A.I.1a. (Not always distinguishable from senses I.1a and I.3.) Now archaic and regional.
- wenchc1300–In neutral or positive use: a girl or young woman. Now chiefly regional.
- file1303–93A girl, woman; also in a bad sense, a concubine.
- virginc1330–A young (unmarried) woman; a maiden. Also figurative and in figurative contexts (see also sense A.I.3b). Now usually somewhat archaic or humorous.
- girla1375–A young or relatively young woman. In early use frequently in gay girl. Cf. also little girl, n. A.2.
- damselc1380–A young unmarried woman (without any connotation of rank or respect—sometimes even slightingly); a maid, maiden, girl, country lass.
- young ladya1393–A young woman, a girl; (formerly) esp. one of high social status. From the 17th cent. to the 19th cent. sometimes used to connote variously the superficiality and sentimentality, or stiffness and propriety, regarded as characteristic of young ladies. In the 19th and 20th centuries often with particular implications or connotations of social class, and avoided or preferred accordingly; see, for example, quots. 1856 and 1886. New English Dictionary (OED first edition) (1921) notes: ‘this expression is now avoided in polite use, except among some old-fashioned speakers and jocularly... At the present day, the term is frequently applied, with the intention of avoiding the supposed derogatory implication of young woman, to female shop assistants or clerks of good appearance and manners’. See also note at lady, n. I.5a.
- jilla1425–(A generic name for) a woman or girl, esp. one considered ordinary or of low social status; a lass. Formerly also: †a flirtatious or sexually…
- juvenclec1430A young woman, a girl.
- young person1438–A young man or woman; spec. a person who is no longer considered a child, but has not reached the age of majority.
- domicellea1464A young lady, a damsel.
- quean1488–Scottish. Frequently in form quine. A young woman, a girl, a lass; esp. one with a youthful bloom or a healthy appearance. Also: a daughter.
- trull1525–1600A girl. Obsolete.
- pulleta1533–figurative. A young or inexperienced person (in early use spec. a young woman). Cf. chicken, n. II.5.
- Tib1533–1699Formerly: a typical name for a woman of lower social status, as in Tib and Tom (cf. Jack and Jill, n. 1). Also: a girl or lass, a sweetheart, a…
- kittyc1560–72A girl or young woman; sometimes (= kittie unsel) a woman regarded as of immoral character. (Cf. kittock, n.) Scottish. Obsolete.
- dell1567–A young girl (of the vagrant class).
- gillian1573–1774A woman; esp. a young woman; a flirtatious or sexually promiscuous woman. Also: a prostitute. Cf. jill, n. 1b.
- nymph1584–Chiefly poetic. A beautiful young woman; a maiden, a damsel.
- winklota1586A young woman.
- frotion1587? A maiden.
- yuffrouw1589–A young lady, girl.
- pigeon1592–A sweetheart, a darling. Frequently as a term of endearment esp. for a woman.
- tit1599–A girl or young woman, spec. one who is disreputable or promiscuous; (in later use more generally) a woman of any age. Now slang (usually disparaging…
- nannicock1600–derogatory. rare (archaic in later use). As a term of contempt: a young woman; (more generally) a fool.
- muggle1608–17Probably: a young woman; (spec.) a sweetheart.
- gixy1611–93A young woman, esp. one regarded as lustful or sexually promiscuous.
- infanta1611–1751transferred and figurative. Applied analogously or fancifully to other young ladies. Obsolete.
- dilla1627A girl, a sweetheart.
- tittiea1628–A sister. Also (U.S.) as a form of address to an unrelated woman. Cf. kitty, n.¹
- whimsy1631–39A young woman, regarded as sexually available or promiscuous. Obsolete. rare.
- ladykin1632–A small or diminutive lady. Sometimes used as a term of endearment. Cf. ladyling, n.
- dandiprat1638A boy or young man; an urchin. Occasionally also: a young woman. Obsolete.
- stammel1639–1735(See quots.)
- moggy1648–colloquial (originally and chiefly Scottish and English regional). Originally: a girl, a young woman. Later: an untidily dressed woman. Now rare.
- zitellaa1660–In Italian contexts: a young woman, spec. one who is unmarried or a virgin.
- miss1668–Applied to a girl or a woman. A young unmarried woman; a girl, esp. a schoolgirl, or one who has recently left school. Frequently used contemptuously…
- baby1684–colloquial. A lover; (also) a spouse. As a term of endearment: darling, sweetheart. Cf. babe, n. 4b.
- baggage1693–Worthless things, rubbish, and other depreciative senses. In affectionate or playful use: a woman or girl considered to be impudent, audacious, exasperating, or foolish. Cf. minx, n. 2, hussy, n. 2a, etc…
- burdie1718–1872A young woman; a maiden.
- demoiselle1720Originally: a young, unmarried lady; a maid, a damsel (now historical). Later more generally: a young woman; a girl. Cf. mademoiselle, n. 2a.
- queanie?1800–A young girl or woman; a daughter; = quean, n. 2.
- intombi1809–(See quot. 1913.)
- muchacha1811–In Spain and Spanish-speaking countries: a girl, a young woman; a female servant.
- cuttya1816–Chiefly Scottish, English regional (northern), and Irish English (northern). An ill-behaved or troublesome girl or woman. Sometimes also used as a…
- jilt1816–1908derogatory. Scottish. A contemptuous term for a woman or girl, esp. one of low social status. Cf. jillet, n. 2. Obsolete.
- titter1819–A girl; a young woman.
- ragazza1827–In Italy: a young woman, a girl. Cf. ragazzo, n.
- gouge1828An impertinent or cunning young woman.
- craft1829–slang. A woman, a girl. Caribbean in later use.
- meisie1838–A girl, a young woman (esp. a white Afrikaans-speaker). Also as a form of address. Cf. meid, n.
- sheila1839–More generally: a girl or young woman. Also: a girlfriend; a female romantic or sexual partner.
- sixteenc1840–A girl of sixteen.
- chica1843–Originally in Spanish-speaking contexts: a girl or young woman. Also: spec. a girl or young woman of Latin American origin or descent. Frequently as…
- femme1846–A woman; a wife; spec. (chiefly North American, esp. in the entertainment industry and in journalistic use) a young woman, a girl. Cf. sense B.1 and…
- muffin1854–Canadian slang. A young woman, esp. one who regularly partners a particular man, by arrangement, during a social season. Now historical.
- gel1857–A girl, a young woman.
- quail1859–U.S. slang. Originally among students: a girl, a young woman. Cf. chick, n.¹ A.I.3.
- kitten1870–figurative. Applied to a young girl, with implication of playfulness or skittishness. In extended use: a girl-friend; a young woman; often as a…
- bud1880–figurative. A girl who is just ‘coming out’; a débutante. Also more fully bud of promise. Chiefly U.S. colloquial.
- tom-tart1882–1912(Originally) a girlfriend, a sweetheart; (later) any girl or woman; cf. tart, n. 2a.i.
- fräulein1883–A young lady, ‘miss’. Often applied in England to German governesses.
- sub-debutante1887–A young woman approaching the age at which she may formally be presented to society at a ball or similar social occasion; a girl in her mid-to-late…
- sweet-and-twenty1887–A Shakespearean phrase (see twenty, adj. A.2), misunderstood by later writers to mean ‘a sweet girl of twenty years old’.
- backfisch1888–A girl in late adolescence, a teenager.
- flapper1888–A girl in her late teens, originally one with her hair down in a pigtail; a young woman, esp. with an implication of flightiness or lack of decorum…
- jelly1889–slang. A pretty girl; a girl-friend.
- queen1894–Applied to a female whose authority or pre-eminence is comparable to that of a queen. slang (originally U.S.). An attractive woman; a girlfriend, a…
- chick1899–slang (originally U.S.). A girl; a young woman.
- pusher1902–slang (chiefly Services' slang). A girl or young woman; (also) spec. a female prostitute. Cf. earlier square-pusher, n. (a).
- bit of fluff1903–Usually bit of fluff (cf. bit, n.² & adj.²phrases P.4d): a young woman. colloquial (now often considered offensive).
- chicklet1905–slang. A young woman. Cf. chick, n.¹ A.I.3.
- twist and twirl1905–With possessive adjective: a female lover or sweetheart; a girlfriend. Also occasionally more generally: a young woman, a girl. Cf. twist, n.³
- twist1906–A young woman, a girl. Also occasionally: (with possessive adjective) a girlfriend, a female sweetheart. Cf. twist and twirl, n.
- head1913–North American colloquial a. A fellow, a guy. b. A young woman.
- sub-deb1916–= sub-debutante, n. Cf. deb, n.
- tabby1916–An (attractive) young woman or girl; = tab, n.² b. slang.
- mouse1917–U.S. slang. A young woman; a girlfriend.
- tittie1918–A young woman, a girl, a lass.
- chickie1919–Originally U.S. and Australian. A young woman, a girl; (in early use) esp. one regarded as an object of sexual desire. Cf. chick, n.¹ A.I.3.
- wren1920–A woman, esp. a young woman. U.S. slang.
- bim1922–North American slang (usually derogatory). Now somewhat rare. A young woman, esp. one regarded as a sexual object. Cf. earlier bimbo, n.² 2a.
- nifty1923–U.S. An attractive young woman.
- quiff1923–A young woman; spec. a prostitute. Also in extended use: a woman or women regarded as a means of sexual gratification; the vulva, the vagina.
- wimp1923–A woman or girl.
- bride1924–slang. A woman, esp. as a man’s (potential) sexual or romantic partner. Now rare.
- job1927–colloquial (originally U.S.). Chiefly with modifying word. A person, esp. a young woman, of a kind specified or evident from the context.
- junior miss1927–(Originally U.S.), a young teen-aged girl; = miss, n.² 4a; also attributive.
- hag1932–slang. derogatory. Originally U.S. A young woman, esp. an unattractive or sexually promiscuous young woman.
- tab1932–Australian. A young woman or girl.
- sort1933–A girl or young woman; a girl-friend. (Predominantly in male use.) slang (originally Australian).
- palone1934–slang. derogatory. A young woman. Also occasionally: a gay man.
- brush1941–slang (Australian and New Zealand). Now dated and offensive. A young woman or girl, esp. one regarded as a sexual object. Also as a mass noun: such women or girls collectively.
- knitting1943–A girl or girls. slang.
- bobby-soxer1944–An adolescent girl, esp. one in her early teens, wearing bobby socks.
- teenybopper1966–A young teenager or a pre-teenager, esp. a girl who is a fan of pop music and follows the latest fashions. Frequently attributive.
- weeny-bopper1972–A very young (esp. female) pop fan (sometimes notionally of a younger age group than a teeny-bopper, but the two terms are frequently…
- Valley Girl1982–A teenage girl from San Fernando Valley in southern California; also = Valleyspeak, n.; also attributive.
- breezy1998–A girl or young woman; esp. one regarded as particularly sexually attractive or desirable.
Pronunciation
British English
U.S. English
Plural: zitelle
British English
U.S. English
Consonants
- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing
Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence
Vowels
- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)
Other symbols
- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.
View the pronunciation model here.
Consonants
- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing
* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in
Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence
Vowels
- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)
Other symbols
- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.
View the pronunciation model here.
Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.
Consonants
b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values
- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige
Vowels
- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot
Forms
Inflections
Variant forms
- 1600szittella
- 1600s; 1800s–zitella
Frequency
zitella typically occurs fewer than 0.01 times per million words in modern written English.
zitella is in frequency band 2, which contains words occurring between 0.001 and 0.01 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands
Frequency of zitella, n., 1750–2010
* Occurrences per million words in written English
Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.
The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.
For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole, n.¹, mole, n.², mole, n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.
Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the Google Books corpus.
| Decade | Frequency per million words |
|---|---|
| 1750 | 0.0052 |
| 1760 | 0.0054 |
| 1770 | 0.0045 |
| 1780 | 0.004 |
| 1790 | 0.0038 |
| 1800 | 0.0022 |
| 1810 | 0.003 |
| 1820 | 0.0034 |
| 1830 | 0.0029 |
| 1840 | 0.0031 |
| 1850 | 0.0035 |
| 1860 | 0.0034 |
| 1870 | 0.0035 |
| 1880 | 0.0028 |
| 1890 | 0.0029 |
| 1900 | 0.0029 |
| 1910 | 0.0028 |
| 1920 | 0.0029 |
| 1930 | 0.0027 |
| 1940 | 0.0023 |
| 1950 | 0.0025 |
| 1960 | 0.0024 |
| 1970 | 0.0026 |
| 1980 | 0.003 |
| 1990 | 0.0028 |
| 2000 | 0.003 |
| 2010 | 0.0032 |