Etymology

From Old Portuguese ovella, from Vulgar Latin *ovicla, from Latin ovicula ‎(“little sheep”), diminutive of ovis ‎(“sheep”), from Proto-Italic *owis, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ówis or *h₃éwis ‎(“sheep”). Compare Galician ovella, Mirandese oubeilha, Spanish oveja, Catalan ovella, Occitan oelha, and French ouaille.

Pronunciation

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɔ.ˈvɐ.ʎɐ/, /ɔ.ˈvɐj.ʎɐ/
• Hyphenation: o‧ve‧lha