Affixation is widely represented in the Italian language and is the most productive word-forming pattern. The article examines the peculiarities of the functioning of affixal derivatives in the Italian literature of the verismo era. As the example, the novel "Il Marchese di Roccaverdina" of L. Capuana was taken. As a rule, the choice of affix is directly related to the social and cultural sphere of society's life, as well as the linguistic picture of the world of the ethnic group. The peculiarities of the functioning of suffix and prefix word-formation models from the point of view of expressing emotionally figurative stylistic nuances were analyzed, as well as a linguo-pragmatic analysis of derived units was made. The features of the use of diminutive-affectionate and augmentative suffixes are considered, their functions and connotative meanings are analyzed. The peculiarities of the use of prefixes in the phenomenon of derivation are also considered, taking into account the contemporary ethnographic, historical and cultural components. It was discovered that the most used way of forming affixal derivatives in the literature of verismo is suffixation.