Diminutive

Diminutive is a term for a special type of nouns the meaning of which can be characterized as SMALL N (where N is the predicate denoted by the noun).

Example

Dutch diminutives are formed by adding one of the allomorphs of the suffix -tje (viz. -pje, -kje, -etje, -je, -tje) to nouns. (i) gives a number of relevant examples:

(i) raam	'window'	raam-pje	'small window'
    koning	'king'		koning-kje	'small king'
    pan		'pan'		pann-etje	'small pan'
    hok		'cage'		hok-je		'small cage'
    baan	'job'		baan-tje	'small job'

Link

Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics

References

• Katamba, F. 1989. An Introduction to Phonology, Longmans, London.
• Zonneveld, W. & M. Trommelen 1980. Egg, Onion, ouch! on the representation of Dutch diphtongs, in: Zonneveld, W. (ed.) Studies in Dutch Phonology, Nijhoff, Den Haag.