What does the suffix '-ette' mean?

What does the suffix '-ette' mean?

• A. large
• B. small
• C. tiny
• D. short

Answer: (B)

The suffix -ette marks a diminutive, signaling a smaller version or a feminine sense in many words. When English borrows -ette from French, it often turns a base noun into a smaller item, like kitchenette (a small kitchen) or cigarette (a small cigar). Because of this, the meaning conveyed is essentially “small.” The option meaning large doesn’t fit, and while tiny is a synonym for small, the specific function of -ette is to indicate a smaller form, not to indicate size in a more general way. Short isn’t the right sense either, since -ette isn’t about length but about diminutive size or a feminine association in some words.

The suffix -ette marks a diminutive, signaling a smaller version or a feminine sense in many words. When English borrows -ette from French, it often turns a base noun into a smaller item, like kitchenette (a small kitchen) or cigarette (a small cigar). Because of this, the meaning conveyed is essentially “small.” The option meaning large doesn’t fit, and while tiny is a synonym for small, the specific function of -ette is to indicate a smaller form, not to indicate size in a more general way. Short isn’t the right sense either, since -ette isn’t about length but about diminutive size or a feminine association in some words.