attila

What it means

1. A short, fringed cape worn as part of traditional Hungarian costume.

   As I gazed at myself in the looking-glass, I found that I should be a handsome boy when I had put on my silver-buttoned attila.

   1898, Maurus Jokai, Debts of Honor

   1 more example

   In the Magyar costume, his heart beating more proudly under the national attila, he passed before the eyes of the peasants who had known him when a child, and had fought under his orders; and he spoke to them by name, recognizing many of his old companions in these poor people with cheeks tanned by the sun, and heads whitened by age.

   1888, Jules Claretie, Prince Zilah

2. Any of the tropical flycatchers of the genus Attila.

   In the scrubby woods that cover most of the Yucatan, suboscines such as the masked tityra, the bright-rumped attila, and the boat-billed flycatcher are all common.

   1988 February 26, Jerry Sullivan, “Field & Street”, in Chicago Reader

In a sentence

In the Magyar costume, his heart beating more proudly under the national attila, he passed before the eyes of the peasants who had known him when a child, and had fought under his orders; and he spoke to them by name, recognizing many of his old companions in these poor people with cheeks tanned by the sun, and heads whitened by age.

1888, Jules Claretie, Prince Zilah

Where it comes from

1. Yeniseian
2. Gothic*𐌰𐍄𐍄𐌹𐌻𐌰
3. Ancient GreekἈττίλα
4. EnglishAttila

Borrowed from Ancient Greek Ἀττίλα (Attíla), of uncertain further origin. Traditionally thought to have been derived from East Germanic, such as a Gothic *𐌰𐍄𐍄𐌹𐌻𐌰 (*attila, literally “little father”), from 𐌰𐍄𐍄𐌰 (atta, “father”) + -𐌹𐌻𐌰 (-ila). Displaced native Old English Ætla. A more recent explanation by Bonnman-Fries (2025) suggests a Yeniseian origin, specifically an Arinic language. The proper name is explained as deriving from a Common Yeniseian adjective complex *atɨ-λa (“quite swift, quite fast”); see there for more. Compare also Bactrian Χιγγιλο (Khingilo), Brahmi 𑀔𑀺𑀗𑁆𑀕𑀺𑀮 (Khiṇgila), the name of a leader of the Alchon Huns, which could prove that the diminutive -ila is of Hunnic origin.