That English has no diminutives is a common myth. The present study
shows, however, that English does possess diminutives, and not only
analytic but also synthetic diminutive markers. Analytic markers
include, first and foremost, little, as well as other adjectives
from the same word field, whereas the inventory of synthetic
markers comprises suffixes as, for instance, -ie, -ette, -let,
-kin, -een, -s, -er, -poo and -pegs. These markers are examined
from a grammatical and a pragmatic perspective in an integrative
formal-functional framework. The grammatical perspective involves
phonological, morphological and semantic features, while the
pragmatic perspective involves pragmalinguistic as well as
sociopragmatic features on the levels of the speech act and larger
interactive units in dialogue. The findings reveal that English
diminutive suffixes are, in fact, among the most productive
suffixes of the English language. While the suffixes share a number
of features, each has developed its own profile, specifically
regarding semantic and pragmatic features. In everyday
conversation, there is a division of labour between the synthetic
and the analytic type of formation concerning the communicative
functions of diminutives and their distribution in discourse. The
choice of formal device and its function depend crucially on
pragmatic factors, notably on the illocution, the interactive
status, the realisation strategy, and the politeness value of the
utterances in which diminutives are employed, and also on the
relationship between the interlocutors.
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