Origin: 1870–75; < L: female slave, maid, prob.
anc- +
-illa dim. suffix, by reanalysis of
ancula maid <
*anquola, equiv. to
an- (
see ancile ) +
*-quola, n. deriv. of a v. base
*quel- turn about, hence “one who circles around”; c. Gk
amphípolos attendant
[an-sil-uh] 