DIMINUTIVE, in grammar (Lat., dimin utivum), a word formed by adding a suffix conveying the idea of littleness and other con nected ideas, as tenderness, affection, contempt, etc. The opposite of diminutive is augmentative. In Latin, diminutives almost always end in lus, la, or him; as Tulliola, meum cordulum, little my dear or little heart.
The Italian is particularly rich in diminutives and augmentatives: ino, etto, ello, convey the idea of smallness, dearness, etc.; one, of large ness; uccio, sometimes of smallness, with re proach, but often without it; accio signifies that the thing is disgusting, nnpleasing, etc.— for ex ample, casa is a house; casetta, casino, casella, a small house, nice little house; casone, a large house; casuccia, a small, insignificant house; casaccia, an ugly house. That expressive tongue can compound two or three of these endearing affixes; and travelers may frequently hear little Italian children form almost endless words, as if overflowing with tenderness; for instance, fratellinucciettinetto. Adjectives also can re ceive the diminutive termination; as carino, carinuccio, from taro. In Spanish there are similar diminutives, augmentatives and other affixes. Thus from hombre, a man, are formed the augmentatives hombron, hombrazo, bons bronazo, hombrachon; and from -limier, a wo man, mujerona, mujeraza, mu jeronaza.
utives in Ito and ico usually denote endearment or tenderness, as those in illo do sometimes; those in do always denote contempt. In Portu guese the diminutives and augmentatives cor respond to those of the Spanish language. In French there are many diminutives formed from other words; as, tablette, of table, charette of char; but there is no general affix which can be added to every substantive. The German has the syllables then (in Low German, ken, with which corresponds the English kin, as in manikin, and some other words), lein and el, for substantives; lick, etc., for adjectives; lick corresponds to the English ish or like; for in stance, rundlich, roundish or roundlike (from rund, round). The German even adds the diminutive to pronouns, and nurses will some times say duchen, from du, thou.
The English language affords examples of diminutives, but has no affix which can be used at pleasure to convey this idea. Those com monly used are ock, kin, el, ling and et; as in bullock, lambkin, kernel, gosling and tablet. Diminutives of proper names are also formed, in colloquial and familiar language, by adding y ore to the names, as Charley, Johnny, etc.