Abstract
The roles of diminutive morphemes in English and in Polish are hardly equivalent. In English, diminutivization of a noun indicates either a relatively small size of a referent and/or a speaker’s emotional attitude towards it (in the hypocoristic function). In Polish, however, besides the two aforementioned roles, a diminutive noun may mark a conception much more complex than just a smaller version of a regular noun’s denotation, possibly very different than that represented by a regular noun. The semantic function of a Polish diminutive morpheme, thus, extends far beyond indicating smallness and amounts to specifying properties that may be absent from referents of regular noun forms. Oftentimes employing such a morpheme is indicative of metaphorical thinking.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Beyond Philology An International Journal of Linguistics, Literary Studies and English Language Teaching
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
