Proto-Italic*put-sle-los →*pussillos followed by degemination via the so-called "mamilla rule", fromProto-Indo-European*put-lo-(“son”), historically standing in relation topullus(“young of an animal”) as a diminutive. Latin cognates includepusillus,putillus(“tiny”),pūsus(“boy”), possiblyVulgar Latin*pūtta(“whore”). Further cognate toFaliscanputellio(“little son”,nom.sg.),Oscanpuklum(acc.sg.),Paelignianpuclois(dat.pl.),Sanskritपुत्र(putrá,“son, child”),Avestan𐬞𐬎𐬚𐬭𐬀(puθra,“child, son”),Lithuanianputýtis(“little bird”),Latvianputns(“bird”),Old Church Slavonicпътица(pŭtica,“bird”). For the correspondencepullus ::pusillus comparepaullus ::pauxillus,vēlum ::vēxillum.
Comparepisinnus,pitinnus; see alsoputus, aghost word. A connection of the stem*put- withpuer is difficult to establish.
pusillus (femininepusilla,neuterpusillum);first/second-declension adjective
First/second-declension adjective.