1. LANE 333 -
NOUN DIMINUTIVE MORPHOLOGY
2012 – Term 1
FORMS
diminutive
suffixes
4
By: http://SBANJAR.kau.edu.sa/
Dr. Shadia Y. Banjar http://wwwdrshadiabanjar.blogspot.com
1 Dr. Shadia Yousef Banjar 10/6/2011
2. •In English six diminutive suffixes can be found.
•They are morphemes that convey a meaning
of smallness or endearment or both.
•They are:
1. -ie, -i, -y
2. -ette
3. -kin, -ikini, -kins
4. -ling
5. -et
6. -let
2 Dr. Shadia Yousef Banjar 10/6/2011
3. DIMINUTIVE SUFFIXES
•The vowels of these diminutive suffixes are three front
ɛ
vowels /i/, /Ι/, and /ɛ/.
• The first suffix /i/ is highly productive. It is frequently
attached to one syllable first names to suggest
endearment and intimacy or smallness as in Johnny,
Jamey, Jackie.
• Similarly, it is attached to common nouns, sometimes
indicating a diminutive notion about a participant in a
discourse more than about one person or thing being
referred to, as in doggie, sweetie, birdie, or mommy.
3 Dr. Shadia Yousef Banjar 10/6/2011
5. DIMINUTIVE SUFFIXES
•The second suffix is also in active use, generally to
ɪ ɛ
indicate smallness. Thus, a dinette/daɪnɛt/ is a
small dining area.
•The other four diminutive suffixes exist in the
language as diminutive but are rarely if ever added
to new nouns.
•In short, they are unproductive and inactive.
Furthermore, in some words, such as cabinet
ɪ ɔɪlɪ
/kæbənɪt/and toilet /tɔɪ ɪt/, the meaning of the
ɔɪ
diminutive suffix has faded away to little or no
significance.
5 Dr. Shadia Yousef Banjar 10/6/2011
7. •In addition to these six diminutives, many others have
come into English as a part of borrowed words.
• These are diminutives in their own or parent language
but are nonmorphemic in English
•Most of these borrowed diminutive endings contain the
/i /Ι/,
vowels /i/, / /, and /ɛ/, though these vowels have often
reduced to /ǝ/ in English because of lack of stress.
• Nearly , all these suffixes have lost the diminutive
sense that was once alive in them.
7 Dr. Shadia Yousef Banjar 10/6/2011
