muletilla
filler word
muleta
crutch
+
-illa
diminutive suffix
Muletilla means filler word and can be thought of as a small (-illa1, diminutive1) muleta0 (crutch0), like a little linguistic crutch used to support speech.
noun
- filler wordA word or phrase repeatedly used out of habit, often without adding meaningUsar 'este' como muletilla puede ser molesto para los oyentes. // Using 'um' as a filler word can be annoying for listeners.