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A diminutive is a word obtained by modifying a root word to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment, and sometimes to belittle something or someone.
In some cases the diminutive in Afrikaans is the most commonly used, or even only form of the word: bietjie (few/little), mandjie (basket), baadjie (jacket) and boontjie (bean). In other cases the diminutive may be used figuratively rather than literally to imply affection, camaraderie, euphemism, sarcasm, or disdain, depending on context.
In Australian English, utility vehicles are almost always referred to in the diminutive as a ute. Flannelette shirts. Diminutive forms of words are commonly used in everyday Australian English. While many dialects of English make use of diminutives and hypocorisms, Australian English uses them more extensively than any other.
Nouns whose stems end in -ul- (either the root itself, or due to the noun in question being a diminutive already), when their diminutive is formed, the stem-final, -ul- changes either to -ell- or -ill-. It is difficult to find any regular correspondence between the context surrounding -ul- and whether the diminutive's stem ends in -ell- or -ill-.
Unlike English, in which the use of diminutive forms is optional even between close friends, in East Slavonic languages, such forms are obligatory in certain contexts because of the strong T–V distinction: the T-form of address usually requires the short form of the counterpart's name. Also, unlike other languages with prominent use of name ...
Molly (also spelled Molli or Mollie) is a diminutive of the feminine name Mary that, like other English diminutives in use since the Middle Ages, substituted l for r. Molly evolved from the English diminutive Mally. [1] English surnames such as Moll, Mollett, and Mollison are derived from Molly.
She's a diminutive talent on a first-name basis with South Carolina coach Dawn Staley. She shoots threes, drives and excites. After averaging 34.9 points as a freshman, she's averaging 23.9 this ...
This article lists common abbreviations for grammatical terms that are used in linguistic interlinear glossing of oral languages [nb 1] in English.. The list provides conventional glosses as established by standard inventories of glossing abbreviations such as the Leipzig Glossing rules, [2] the most widely known standard.