niño

nío

From Old Portuguese nio, from Latin nīdus (“nest”), from Proto-Italic *nizdos (“nest”), from Proto-Indo-European *nisdós (“nest”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈniɲo̝/

niño m (plural niños)

1. nest

• “niño” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.

From Vulgar Latin *ninnus, probably imitative of infantile language. Compare also Italian nino. Compare English nun for an English word that is formed similarly from imitative origin of infantile speech, as well as possibly nanny and nana.

• IPA^(key): /ˈniɲo/

niño m (plural niños, feminine niña, feminine plural niñas) (diminutive niñito)

1. child; boy, girl

The noun niño is like several other Spanish nouns with a human referent. The masculine forms are used when the referent is known to be male, a group of males, a group of mixed or unknown gender, or an individual of unknown or unspecified gender. The feminine forms are used if the referent is known to be female or a group of females.

• chaval
• chavo
• chico
• infante

• adulto

• aniñar
• El Niño
• niño soldado
• niñajo

• muchacho
• nene

• “niño” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.