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From: iad@cogsci.ed.ac.uk (Ivan A Derzhanski)
Subject: Re: Opposite of Diminutive
Message-ID: <D12IsB.CEE@cogsci.ed.ac.uk>
Organization: Centre for Cognitive Science, Edinburgh, UK
References: <D0y4I8.1uv@actrix.gen.nz> <3cuoou$qr@news.bu.edu> <3d3pqr$80q@marble.Britain.EU.net>
Date: Mon, 19 Dec 1994 17:19:21 GMT
Lines: 56

In article <3d3pqr$80q@marble.Britain.EU.net> Paul Sampson <paul.sampson@octacon.co.uk> writes:
[re augment(at)ives]
>They can be used in the opposite way to diminutives, to display a
>lack of respect, fear and loathing, etc.

In Chukchi there are two augmentatives, one with a positive and one
with a negative connotation, and a diminutive, whose connotation is
always positive:

  _jel'o_ `uncle'  _jel'o-jN-yn_ `big good uncle'
  _jat'jol_ `fox'  _jat'jol-cyN-yn_ `big bad fox'
  _k'eli_   `hat'  _k'eli-qej_  `dear little hat'

In accordance with Chukchi vowel harmony, according to which all
vowels in a word must be either low (dominant) or high (recessive),
the two augmentative suffixes lower the vowels of the stem, whereas
the diminutive suffix gets its own vowel lowered, if the stem vowels
are low:

  _omqa-jN-yn  `big good polar bear'  qora-jN-yn  `big good deer'
  _omqa-cg-yn   `big bad polar bear'  qora-cg-yn   `big bad deer'
  _umqe-qej `dear little polar bear'  qora-qaj `dear little deer'

The same suffixes are attached to interrogative, indefinite and
demonstrative pronouns, which are considered nouns in Chukchi:

  _raqy-jN-yn  `big good what?'  maNena-jN-yn  `big good who?'
  _raqy-cg-yn   `big bad what?'  maNena-cg-yn   `big bad who?'
  _reqy-qej `dear little what?'  meNine-qej `dear little who?'

Apart from the diminutive suffix _-qej_, there is also a prefix _qej-_,
by means of which nouns denoting the young of all animals except humans
and tame deer are derived:

  _qej-umqy_ `polar bear cub'
  _qaj-jat'jol_     `fox cub'
  _qaj-gatle_ `duckling' from _gatle_ `duck, large fowl'

The two _qej_ are related to the stem of the noun _qejyqej_ `young whale'.

Verbs also have an augmentative (but only one) and a diminutive form,
and the attitude expressed refers to the subject of an intransitive or
the object of a transitive verb.  Here, too, the augmentative suffix
is strong and the diminutive one weak for vowel harmony purposes.

  _peqetat-yk_ `fall'  _peqetat-y-cgat-yk_ `fall (of sthg. big)'
  _piri-k_     `take'  _pere-cgat-yk_      `take (sthg. big)'

  _l'u-k_       `see'  _l'u-qeet-yk_  `see (sthg. little)'
  _Nyto-k_ `come out'  _Nyto-qaat-yk_ `come out (of sthg. little)'

-- 
`Release Jesus wi this mob hangin aroon?  Nae chance!'  (The Glasgow Gospel)
Ivan A Derzhanski (iad@cogsci.ed.ac.uk, iad@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu)
* Centre for Cognitive Science,  2 Buccleuch Place,   Edinburgh EH8 9LW,  UK
* Cowan House E113, Pollock Halls, 18 Holyrood Pk Rd, Edinburgh EH16 5BD, UK
