Diminutives in English and Hadhrami

Khaled Awadh Bin Mukhashin*

Received: 12/2/2017 Accepted: 18/10/2017

Abstract

This study aims at investigating diminutive forms in both English and Hadhrami Arabic through showing the ways these diminutives are formed morphologically; the parts of speech they incorporate and through shedding lights on the use of these forms and the meanings, they impart in Both English and Hadhrami Arabic. The study shows that whereas diminutives in English are formed analytically (through the addition of an analytic marker preceding the noun) and synthetically (through the addition of a derivational affix), diminutives in Hadhrami Arabic are formed nonconcatinatively through the modification of the vowels of the root in accordance with certain patterns. It also shows that only nouns and in a few cases certain adjectives in English are diminuted. However, it has been found that in HA nouns, adjectives, some verbs, some adverbs of place, demonstrative pronouns and some conjunctions can be diminuted. Regarding the use of these diminutives, the study shows that they are used to connote either pejorative meanings or meanings indicating smallness, affection and endearment in both English and Hadhrami Arabic.

1. Introduction: order and function words (Brinton & Arnovick, Many linguists define diminutives as expressions 2006). When English forms diminutives, it denoting smallness in comparison with neutral preferentially forms them analytically. It words and usually indicating positive connotation. compensates for diminutive suffixes lexically by In fact, defining diminutive expressions is a very adding analytic markers such as little, tiny or complicated issue. Schneider (2003) states that small before nouns (Naciscione, 2010). In this there are three problems associated with way the basic concept of diminution exists in diminutive definition. First, diminutives are English as in the other languages of the world, generally considered as a universal category even if some linguists such as Wierzbicka (2003) existing in every language but some languages argues that English has no diminutives. such as English are said to have no diminutives. Analytic diminutives are more frequent in Secondly, some linguists state that diminutives English than diminutive suffixes. They can denote smallness, whereas other linguists argue convey various expressive meanings. English that they denote smallness and have affective and uses the analytic markers little, small, thin, pitty evaluative meanings. Thirdly, diminutive are wee, diminutive, tiny/ slight a bit of, by the skin paradoxical as one diminutive can express of and other adjectives in the semantic field appreciative and depreciative connotations. SMALL to convey emotion and smallness. When adjectives such as poky, pretty or 2. Diminutives in English: unfortunate are put before the analytic markers, Comparing English with Italian, German and they add additional emotional implications to the Russian in which diminutive formation is highly constructions such as in the poor little thing or productive, Jespersen (1968) states that English they may convey a pejorative meaning as in that has few infrequently- used diminutive suffixes. miserable little monster ( referring to a young, Other linguists express even extremer opinion disobedient child). The base noun has an effect claiming that English has no diminutives at all. on the emotional meaning and the stylistic effect However, as in other languages, diminutives in of the diminutive construction. The level of English are formed analytically (through the emotional expressiveness conveyed through the addition of an analytic marker preceding the construction is determined by the choice of the noun) and synthetically (through the addition of analytic diminutive marker. The analytic and a derivational affix). synthetic diminutives can co-occur, creating 2.1 Analytic Diminutives in English: constructions such as little doggie or teensy- English is an analytic language, which combines weensy mousie to add further meaning to inflectional morphemes sparingly. It indicates diminutive constructions. grammatical relations primarily through word The two English diminutive markers little and small differ from each other. While small refers * College of Arts, Hadhramout University

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Diminutives in English and………….. Khaled Awadh Bin Mukhashin only to 'smallness', little is more 'subjective' and d- Suffixes “referred to as „familiarity markers", 'flexible'. It expresses more emotional meanings they are expressive, affective or evaluative, as than small, for example, in little dog and small they all denote an attitude but not smallness dog, the latter example conveys a physical size (–s, –er, –o, –a, and –le). rather than conveying a sense of 'dearness' or e-Suffixes rarely mentioned in the literature 'littleness'. Small can also convey a pejorative (–poo, –pop, and –peg). meaning as it is the case when it is referred to These suffixes will be described briefly below" Great Dane as 'small dog'(Schneider, 2003).The 1.-ie diminutive meaning can be intensified by using This suffix occurs in two other forms –ey and – words such as 'very', 'extremely', etc., in y. It is often used with fairy- tales characters or connection with the diminutive expressions as in parent-child interaction. It is sometimes added to extremely small, very little, very tiny. adjectives implying affection, intimacy and

2.2 Synthetic Diminutives in English: endearment (Zandvoort: 1972). Quirk & The inventory of the English diminutive suffixes Greenbaum (1973) state that it is largely is not so clear. There are differences among restricted to familiar contexts. linguists regarding the reality and number of aunt / auntie, Charles / Charlie, Charly , pig / these suffixes. Wierzbicka (1985) claims that piggy , Mom / momy , Gran / granny , Sweet / English has only one diminutive suffix (–ie) and sweetie , John: Johnny , Ann: Annie , Robert: Quirk, et al (1985) identify only three English Bobbie Catherine: Kitty diminutive suffixes (-ette,-let and –ling). 2.-ette Other linguists claim much bigger inventory of This diminutive productive suffix has been diminutive suffixes in English. For example, borrowed from French (Zandvoort, 1972; Charleston (1960) refers to an inventory Stageberg, 1971). It is used for diminutivization including 34 diminutive suffixes and Rotzoll of object nouns, which refer to architecture, (1910) mention 50 English diminutive suffixes. interior design, furnishings, and furniture (e.g. Schneider (2003) defines 14 diminutive suffixes balconette, kitchenette) indicating that the feature in contemporary English. Schneider (ibid) is small (Valerie, 2001). Furthermore, it is used classifies these suffixes as follows: with nouns referring to genre names (e.g. a- Diminutive suffixes which are the most novelette, letterette) denoting „a short specimen productive diminutive suffixes in English today of the respective category‟ or „a specimen not (–ie, –ette, and –let ). meeting the qualitative criteria of the respective b- Originally Germanic suffixes (–kin and –ling) genre (Schneider, 2003). c- Originally Irish suffix (–een).

Kitchen / kitchenette , Piano / pianette , Balcony / balconette Snack / snackette , Sardine / sardinette

3.-let component [+young], therefore, it produces According to Schneder (ibid) this suffix is used diminutives referring to non-adult members of a for diminutivisation of object nouns to form particular species (e.g. froglet). When it is used diminutives represent entities which are smaller with personal nouns referring to an adult person than prototypical members of a particular (e.g. kinglet, wifelet, starlet), it implies negative category (e.g. droplet). It is also used for depreciative meaning of contempt. diminutivisation of animal nouns adding the

book / booklet , leaf / leaflet , play / playlet , ring / ringlet , frog / froglet owl / owlet , front / frontlet

4. – ling / -ing to adult humans gain negative connotations of This suffix is often replaced by other diminutive being „petty, unimportant‟ (e.g. princeling) suffixes in contemporary English as it is now (Schneider, 2003). considered old-fasioned and comical. It is duck / duckling , wolf / wolfing , seed / attached to nouns referring to humans, animals, seedling , fledge / fledging and plants (Valereie, 2001). The diminutives 5.-kin referring to animals and plants mean “young This suffix originates in Duch. It denotes parent- one" of the category denoted by the base word” child interaction or adult communication. Valerie (e.g. catling, seedling). The diminutives referring (2001) states that this suffix carries the meaning Hadhramout University Journal of Humanities, Volume 15, Issue 1, June 2018 258 Diminutives in English and………….. Khaled Awadh Bin Mukhashin of "small" and "charming" (babykin). It can also Robert – Bob – Bobbles. be used in ironic contexts for diminutivisation of English has certain diminutive suffixes that can first names (Schneider, 2003). be found only in literary texts such as : –poo, – Lamb / lambkin , Jen / Jenkins , Katy / katiekin pop, and –peg. According to Schneider (ibid) 6.-een these diminutive share three formal features. This suffix originates in the Irish language. It is First, they have the same voiceless not commonly used in English except when the sounds in the onset, second, they are preceded by English speaker want to speak with a special /i/ and third, they are almost followed by {s}. Irish flavour. 12-poo girl / girleen (English :girlie) , house / Diminutives of this type are mostly first names houseen (English: housey) , pet / peteen used as terms of endearment or nicknames (English: petey). (Katiepoo). English has also five more diminutive suffixes – 13.–pop s, -er, -o and –le. However, these suffixes are Diminutives of this type are “derived from first arguably not diminutive in the narrow sense of names and used as terms of address in casual the word. They are refered to as expressive, conversation between persons with a close effective or evaluative suffixes because they relationship” (Rosiepops). express attitudes and they do not denote 14. -peg smallness (ibid). Diminutives of this type are considered to be 7. -s “nursery words” (Daddypegs), but they can be This diminutive suffix can be attached directly to used pejoratively or ironically in other context the base noun (e.g. Debs, Moms) which retains . singular reference. Schneider (ibid) uses the 3. Diminutivization in and term „nursery –s‟ since such formations occur Arabic Dialects: mostly in caretaker speech (e.g. milkies). According to Fayez (1991), who reviews the Diminutives of this type refer to persons and are famous Arabic linguist Sibawaih‟s analysis of used as nicknames or terms of endearment, as Arabic diminutives, diminutivization is a highly this suffix can be added to first names (Lyds), productive process in classical Arabic. It kinship terms (Moms), animal names used indicates smallness in size (kitab “book” metaphorically (ducks), and adjectives denoting a kuttayyib "a small book") or in quantity (waraqat property (fats). “papers” > wurrayqqaat "a few papers"). 8.-er Diminitive forms in classical Arabic can also be It adds an affective component to the base words used to express shortness of distance (fawq (e.g. football – footer). It is associated with the “over” > fuwayq ' a little bit over") or of time meaning „rough and tough‟ and is used mostly by (qabl “before” > qubayl “shortly before”). males (ibid). Diminutives are also used for expressing 9. –o connotative meanings, such as endearment (bint This suffix is often used to derive forms “girl” > bunayyah “dear "daughter,”), mercy or competing with derivations from the same base sympathy (miskin “poor” > musaykin, words in which the suffix –ie is used” (e.g. kiddo “contempt,”; sayif “sword” > suyayf “not much vs. kiddie). All of these forms refer to persons, of a sword”), and even enhancement (malik but diminutives with –ie convey a positive “king” > mulayk “a great king”). attitude, whereas diminutives with –o denote a Some researchers investigated diminutivisation negative one. It can be used to derive in Arabic dialects such as Johnstone (1973) who diminutives from male names (e.g. Stevio) (ibid). described the patterns according to which 10 –a diminutives are derived in Modern South It is attached to “short names in which the first Arabian languages spoken in south of , syllable is retained as an open syllable closed by an Mahrah and Soqotra Island. Nakshbandi (1996) /z/” (e.g. Sharon – Shaz – Shazza). It can be used to compared the uses and structures of diminutives derive diminutives either from male or female in Classical Arabic with those of Urban Hijazi names (e.g. Teresa or Terence – Tezza) (ibid). Arabic. He found out that diminutives are rarely 11 –le used in Urban Hijazi Arabic and are used for a It has survived only in regional varieties to form limited set of connotative meanings. He terms of address from male first names (short attributed the rarity of diminutives in this dialect names or diminutives with other suffixes), e.g. to the possibility of expressing diminution Hadhramout University Journal of Humanities, Volume 15, Issue 1, June 2018 259 Diminutives in English and………….. Khaled Awadh Bin Mukhashin through other structures, such as adjectives and consonantal root with a vocalic pattern (Watson, periphrastic forms.Watson (2006) argued that in 2006). As in Standard Arabic, the word San‟ani (the dialect of San‟a), and in some other formation of diminutives in Hadhrami Arabic Arabic dialects, there is a class of verbs that have (henceforth HA) takes place internally, i.e. as part of either their denotations or connotations infixing and modification of the root rather than a diminutive sense. Esherteh (2017) explored the stringing together morphemes (Katamba, 1993). pragmatic functions of diminutives used in This process is called nonconcatinative . He found out that morphology or root-and-pattern morphology. diminutives are used both as a positive politeness The root is a set of consonants arranged in a strategy, to show solidarity, affection and specific sequence; it identifies the general realm endearment and to establish a friendly context of the word‟s meaning. The pattern is a template for the interaction, and as a negative politeness of characters surrounding the slots of the root. strategy aimed at minimizing imposition and Nouns, adjectives, certain verbs, adverbs, softening negative statements. pronouns and conjunctions can be diminuted in 4. The Morphology of Diminutives in HA. All types of nouns ,proper and common, are Hadhrami Arabic: liable to diminutivisation .The proper noun Word formation in Arabic and all Semitic (particularly masculine names of person) are languages involves interdigitation of a diminuted according to the pattern fʕijəl.

Table 1: Diminutive first Names in HA

Masculine First Name Diminutive Form of the First Name

ضعيّذ sʕijəd ضعيذ sʕiːd عويّر ʔmijə عور ʔmə عبيّذ ʔbijəd عبذ /عبذهللا ʔəbd / ʔəbdəlɑːh ربيّع bijəʕ ربيع əbiːʕ صليّح slijəћ صالح səleћ خويّص mijəs خويص əmiːs عويّض ʕwijədʼ عوض ʕəwdʼ

The standard Arabic equivalent pattern is consequently the vowel u: is dropped.Another ( u:ʕijəl ). In the standard Arabic pattern the diminutive pattern used with proper nouns, vowel u: is inserted between the first two particularly pet names, is the pattern (fəʕʕuː-li) in consonants since consonant clusters are not which the second consonant of the proper noun is allowed. HA allows consonant clusters, reduplicated and the suffix – i is added.

Table 2: Diminutive First Names (Pet Names) in HA

Masculine First Name Diminutive Form of the First Name

ض ّعودي səʕʕuːdi ضعيذ səʕiːd ع ّووري ʔəmmuːi عور ʔəʊmə عبّودي ʔəbƅuːdi عبذ /عبذهللا ʔəbd / ʔəbdəlɑːh صلّوحي səlluːћi صالح səleћ

Some proper nouns that denote place in HA are diminuted according to the pattern fʕeil as shown in the following table:

Table 3: Diminutive Names of Place in HA

Root of the Place Diminutive Form Gloss name "village name, literally means "small pocket جويب dʒweib جيب dʒiːb "village name, literally means "small room حجيره ћdʒeieh حجرة ћɒdʒəh "town name, literally means "small coast شحير ʃћee شحر ʃəћe "Village name, literally means "small room غريفو ʁeifeh غرفت ʁɒfəh

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HA common nouns whose roots consist of two consonant. The vowel of the root is deleted to consonants are diminuted through adding the form an initial syllabic cluster. diphthong / ei / and reduplicating the last

Table 4: Diminutives of HA Common Nouns Consisting of Two consonants

Noun Gloss Diminutive Gloss Form little amount of wheat برير Wheat bei بر bɒ little amount of rice رزيس Rice zeiz رز ɒz small brain هخيخ Brain mei هخ mɒ small letter خطيطʹ ʹLetter tʹeit خط ʹət

Common nouns with trilateral root in HA are diminuted according to the pattern eil . The standard Arabic equivalent pattern is (u:eil).

Table 5: Diminutive Forms of HA Trilateral Common Nouns

Root Gloss Diminutive Form Gloss

small sea بحير sea bei بحر b small tooth ضريص tooth dʼre ضرش dʼər small skin جليذ skin dʒled جلذ dʒeld small boy وليذ boy leid ولذ ələd small heart قليب heart ɡleib قلب ɡəlb little sound صويج ei صوث ʼə small dog مليب dog eib ملب əb small he sheep مبيش he goat beiʃ مبش əbʃ small boy زقير boy zɡeir زقر zəɡr small moon قوير moon ɡmeir قور ɡəmər

HA Common nouns with quadrilateral roots are diminuted according to the pattern fʕeiʕel whose standard Arabic equivalent is fuːʕiʕel.

Table 6: Diminutive forms of HA Quadrilateral Common Nouns

Root Gloss Diminutive Form Gloss

small rifle بنيذق rifle geeeeeb بنذق gɒeeɒb small veil بريقع veil breigeʕ برقع gɒgbɒb small woman حريوو woman reimeh حرهو ɒrməh small mouthful لقيوو mouthful hbeeeel لقوو lɒgməh small nail هطيوار nail mseimɑ:r هطوار msmɑːr

It is worth mentioning that the singular while their diminutive forms–kʊteijəb and diminutive noun forms are default inflected with mʊtijer- are both default inflected as kʊtəjbæt the plural suffix –æt regardless of whether the and mətəjræt respectively. This fact is also found singular non-diminutive form is inflected for in Standard Arabic (Alshboul,et al,2013). plurality with the default marker –æt regularly or As in Standard Arabic, adjectives in HA have the with the irregularly inflected singular form same forms of nouns, therefore they are (broken plural). In other words, the noun kitæb a diminuted according to the same pattern fʕijəl book‟ for example is broken plural inflected as used for diminuting nouns particularly first kɒtʊb 'books' and the noun matɑːr„an airport‟ is names. sound feminine inflected as mataræt 'airports'

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Table 7: Diminutive Adjectives in HA

Root Gloss Diminutive Form Gloss

very small صغيّر Small s'ʁijər صغير s'əʁiːr very thin رميّل Thin rkijək رميل rəkiːk very merciful رحيّن Merciful rijəm رحين rəiːm very cheap رخيّص Cheap rəijəs ʼ رخيص əiːs very little قليّل Little ɡəlijəl قليل ɡəliːl

Demonstrative pronouns in HA are also diminuted as shown in the following table:

Table 8: Diminutive Demonstrative Pronouns in HA

Root Gloss Diminutive Form

ريّا This ijə را ə روليّا These ɒlijə روال ɒlə رياّك That ijɑːk راك ɑːk روليّاك Those ɒlijɑːk روالك ɒlɑːk

The HA adverbs of place hnə "here" and hnɑːk also express sarcasm, irony, or contempt and "there" are also diminuted into hnijə and hnijɑːk negative connotation. The real connotation can respectively. Some HA subordinate conjunctions be deduced from the context and the situation in of time such as gəƅel ""before" and ƅəʕed "after" which they are used. are also diminuted respectively into gɒƅeil 5.1 The Use of Diminutive Proper Nouns in "before a very short time" and ƅʕeid HA: "immediately after".Finally,certain verbs in HA HA diminutive proper nouns derived according are also diminuted through duplication of the to the pattern fʕijəl (table 1) have mostly a whole verb root as in dəƅ / dəƅdəƅ "move " and pejorative meaning. They are used as first names məsʹ / məsʹməsʹ"suck. or sure names for members of certain social 5. The Use of Diminutives in HA": classes in the Hadhrami society. Rodionov In addition to denoting positive emotions, (2006:182) describes the Hadhrami stratification diminution or smallness, diminutives in HA can saying:

With all local peculiarities, Arab social hierarchy has as its core a stratum of fully-fledged tribesmen with spiritual arbitrators (of the Prophet's offspring and /or hereditary scholars) above and the underprivileged without long genealogies and tribal affiliation below.

While the children of the decedents of the proper nouns such as (bin) sʕijəd, (bin) ʔmijə, Prophet (Sadeh), the tribesmen (gbail) and (bin) ʕwijədʼ, etc . religious scholars (masheikh) in the Hadhrami According to Hagg (2016) pet names are society are named as səʕiːd, ʔəʊmə ʔəbdəlɑːh diminutives termed as hypocoristics. HA pet etc.,the children of the underprivileged (dhaaf), names are formed according to the pattern who have neither long genealogies nor tribal fəʕʕuːli (see table 2). They are mainly used to affiliation, are given the same names but in their address and refer to children. These diminutives diminutive forms as sʕijəd , ʔmijə, ʔbijəd to combine the two elements of small size and confirm their low position in the society. affection. Actually, speakers who use such forms Though this phenomenon has faded in the express good feelings toward children by contemporary Hadhrami society due to the showing endearment and sympathy, as well as to spread of education and Islamic awareness, we highlight the fact that the addressee/referent is a still find middle-aged and old persons whose child. In the Hadhrami society, these uses are names and occasionally surnames are diminutive limited to persons who are closely related to the

Hadhramout University Journal of Humanities, Volume 15, Issue 1, June 2018 262 Diminutives in English and………….. Khaled Awadh Bin Mukhashin children such as their parents, relatives and the eyes of the others so as to protect them from friends. However, they are used pejoratively in those people's envy, jealousy and evil eyes. HA, when they are used by persons who are 3- m-ʕi ƟlæƟ ƅniyæt neither relatives nor friends of the children have-1SG. three Girls. DIM addressed or referred to. In such context they 'I have only three small daughters' connote that the child referent is indulged and to 4- ʔəʃtəreit dweir-eh some extent lacking manly characteristics. These Buy-PAS 1SG House DIM-FEM diminutive forms (pet names) will have the same 'I bought a small house.' bad connotation when used to address or refer to Diminutive forms of nouns in HA may function a person who is no longer a child. Due to this bad as pragmatic hedges weakening the illocutionary connotation, Bedouins and tribal men in the rural force of certain utterances such as requests, areas of Hadhramout never use them when offers and commands. The diminutive in this addressing or referring to their children and they case acts as a negative politeness marker even do not allow others to address or refer to minimizing imposition on the hearer (see them or to their children using these forms. example 8). This use in HA is extended to Recently, these diminutive forms (pet names) are indicate the speaker's downplaying of his gaining ground among the educated communities achievement, characteristics or the help he or she and inhabitants of the urban areas of offered so as to show modesty and lack of self- Hadhramout. They are used by wives for praise (see example 9). addressing their husbands and children to show 5- ʃel l -i ijə ʃneitəh ʔəllɑːh ysɒn-ək their affection and tenderness. take for me this DIM bag DIM Allah protect- you The diminutive proper nouns of places in HA 'Carry this bag for me, may Allah protect you'. (see table 3) denote just the small size of these 6- btit`- eh lgeimeh ɒz places for example ʃəћe is the name of a large give.1p.past- him mouthful.DIM rice city in Hadhramout its diminutive form is 'I gave him little rice'. ʃћeewhich is the name of a nearby small town. It is worth mentioning that the use of diminutive Similarly, ʁɒfəh is the name of a town in the nouns and adjectives is less common among Valley of Hadhramout while its diminutive form Hadhrami males than among females due to the ʁ eifeh is the name of a small village in the tribal culture of the Hadhrami society, which  regards diminution as a female linguistic feature. coastal area of Hadhramout. This may be the reason, behind the fact that 5.2 The Use of Diminutive Common Nouns Hadhrami men use diminutives rarely and and Adjectives in HA: carefully when they talk with others who are not The diminutive proper nouns (see tables 4,5,6,) their relatives or close friends. and adjectives (see table 7) are used in HA to denote small sizes as in these examples 5.3 The Use of Diminutive Demonstrative zəɡr 'boy' - zɡeir 'small child' pronouns əb 'dog' - eib ' small dog' Diminutive demonstrative pronouns in HA are dʼər 'tooth' - dʼre 'small teeth' used to denote the speaker's affection and They are also used as pejorative terms revealing endearment (example 7), small size (example 8) the speaker's underestimation of person or thing and speaker's sympathy (example 9). these terms refer to. 7- wələd-i ijə 1- mə huː ʃæʕer ðələ ʃweiʕer boy- POSS. This DIM. Neg. he poet only DIM. Poet 'This is my dear son'. 'He is not a poet, he is just a small unknown 8- mə-mʕi ʔələ ijə ʔəlʕədi poet.' NFG.have except .this,DIM money Affection and endearment are also expressed 'I have only this small amount of money.' through diminutive nouns and adjectives in HA 9- sæʕed ijɑːk ʔtəllæƅ as in this example: help. that DIM begger 2- hələ ƅ- wleid-i w ƅniyət-i 'Help that poor begger' welcome with- DIM.boy-my and daughter DIM -my 5.4 The Use of Diminutive Adverbs and '' Welcome my dear son and daughter.' conjunctions in HA Hadhrami people use the diminutive nouns and The HA diminutive forms of the adverbs of place adjectives to refer to their sons and belongings in hnə "here" / hnijə and hnɑːk "there"/ hnijɑːk are an attempt to underestimate these belongings in used to denote shortness of distance and the Hadhramout University Journal of Humanities, Volume 15, Issue 1, June 2018 263 Diminutives in English and………….. Khaled Awadh Bin Mukhashin diminutive forms of the HA subordinate Verbs diminuted in HA usually denote actions conjunctions of time gəƅel "before"/ gɒƅeil and performed by children and weak or ill persons ƅəʕed "after"/ ƅʕeid connote near or immediate such as dəƅ "move "which is made dəƅdəƅ present, past and future. "move slowly and weakly", məs "suck"", 10- trə-əh hnijə məsʹməsʹ"suck continuously and weakly". The put -it here DIM denotative meaning of such verbs often indicates 'Put it just here (in this near place)' the lightness or unimportance of the action of the 11- mətərət gɒƅeil ʔəlfədʒer verb (Dressler and Merlini 1994 as cited in rain PAS before DIM dawn Watson, 2006). They also have the denotative 'It rained just before the dawn' meaning of segmentation into a number of smaller actions (Watson, 2006). 5.5 The Use of Diminutive Verbs in HA

12- ʔəlteflel ʔelməriːd məsʹməs fi deid ʔʊm-əh Baby ill suck DIM in breast mother-his 'The ill baby sucked weakly and continuously his mother's breast'.

In her study of the diminutive verbs in the familiarity markers which are expressive or San'ani Dialect, Watson (ibid) refers to a evaluative denoting attitudes rather than diminutive verb form with the template smallness such as –s, –er, –o, –a, and –le. Some (t)CayCaC. Such forms exist in HA too. They English diminutive suffixes are found only in connote mental and physical states with literature such as –poo, –pop, and –peg. pejorative overtones of pretence meaning „to act As far as HA is concerned, noun and adjectives as if/pretend to be and used in jocular or are diminuted, in addition to certain verbs; otherwise non-serious situations. For example adverbs of place, conjunction of time and means "became mad" and demonstrative pronouns. Diminutives in HA are غرم the HA verb ʁrɒm means formed nonconcatenatively according to certain حغيرم its diminutive form tʁeirəm "pretended to be mad or behaved as if he had patterns. Diminutive proper nouns in HA have a pejorative meaning. Diminutive common nouns هرض been mad". Similarly, the HA verb mridʼ means "became ill" while its diminutive form and adjectives are used to denote small size, means "pretended to be ill". affection and endearment. They are also used as حويّرض tmeirdʼ pragmatic hedges and as a way of avoiding evil's 6. Conclusion eyes especially when they are used to indicate Diminutives in English are formed analytically personal properties. However, they may also and synthetically. Analytically, they are formed connote depreciation and contempt. HA through adding an analytic marker such as little, diminutive demonstrative pronouns denote tiny, small, etc. before the noun. Synthetically, smallness, affection, endearment and sympathy. diminutives in English are formed through the HA diminutive adverbs of place are used to addition of a derivational affix to the noun and in indicate shortness of distance and the diminutive a few cases to adjectives. Analytic diminutives, forms of the HA subordinate conjunctions of which are more frequent in English than synthetic time connote near or immediate present, past and diminutives, can convey various expressive future. HA diminutive verbs have a denotative meanings. They convey emotion and smallness. meaning implying lightness or unimportance of Contemporary English has three productive the action of the verb. They also have the diminutive suffixes (–ie, –ette, and –let ), two denotative meaning of segmentation into a diminutive suffixes of Germanic origin (-kin, - number of smaller actions. HA has also ling), and an originally Irish diminutive suffix – diminutive verbal forms that connote mental and een).Some of these suffixes denote smallness physical states with pejorative overtones of others indicate affection and endearment. Some pretence meaning. of them imply a negative depreciative meaning and contempt. English has also suffixes called

Hadhramout University Journal of Humanities, Volume 15, Issue 1, June 2018 264 Diminutives in English and………….. Khaled Awadh Bin Mukhashin

References: 12- Nakshabandi, A. 1996. Diminutives in lassical 1- Alshboul, S., Asassfeh,S. Al shaboul,Y.2013. Arabic and the urban Hijazi dialect. Linguistic Default Diminutives: Evidence from Modern Communication Periodical, 7, 1-15. Standard Arabic. Journal of Language Teaching 13- Naciscione, A.2010. Stylistic Use of and Research, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 21-26. Phraseological Units in Discourse. 2- Brinton, L. and Arnovick, L. 2006. The English Amsterdam/Philedelphia: John Benjamins. Language: A Linguistic History. Oxford: Oxford. 14- Quirk, R. and Greenbaum, S. 1973. A University 3- Charleston, B. M. (1960) Studies on the Emotional Grammar of English. London: Longman Group and Affective Means of Expression in Modern Ltd. English. Tübirgen: Francke 15- Quirk, R. et al. 1985. A Comprehensive Grammar 4- Dressler, W., & Merlini, B. 1994. of the . London, Longman. Morphopragmatics: Diminutives and Intensifiers 16- Rodionov, M.2006. Socila restratification in in Italian, German, and other Languages. modern Hadhramout. Quaderni di Studi Arabi, Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter. Nuova Serie, Vol. 1 , pp. 181-190. 5- Eshreteh, M.K. 2017. A pragmatic analysis of 17- Rotzoll, E.1910. Die Deminutivbildungen im diminutives in Palestinian society. Neuenglischen unter besonderer berücksichtigung International Journal of Language Studies VoL. 11, der Dialekte. Heidelberd: Winter. Number 1, pp. 45-62 18- Schneider, P. (2003) Diminutives in English. 6- Fayez, E. 1991. Sibawaih’s Linguistic Analysis of Tübingen: Max Niemeyer. the Diminutive in Classical Arabic and its 19- Stageberg, N. 1971. An Introductory English Subsequent Development. Unpublished doctoral Grammar. U.S.A.: Holt Rinehart& Winston Inc. dissertation. Washington: Georgetown University. 20- Valerie,A. 2001. Complex Words in English. 7- Hagg, A.T. 2016. A Contrastive Study of English Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd. and Spanish Synthetic Diminutives. MA Thesis 21- Wierzbicka, A. 1985. Lexicography and submitted to the University of Oslo. Conceptual Analysis. Ann Arbor:Karoma.X. 8- Jespersen, O. 1968 Growth and Structure of the 22- Wierzbicka, A.2003 . Cross-Cultural Pragmatics: Language. New York: Free Press. the Semantics of Human Interaction. Berlin: 9- Johnstone, T.M. 1973. Diminutive atterns in the Mouton de Gruyter, Modern South Arabian Languages. Journal of 23- Watson,J. 2006. Arabic morphology: diminutive Semitic Studies, 18, 98–107. verbs and diminutive Nouns in San‟ani Arabic. 10- Katamba, F.1993. Morphology. London: Morphology vol.16, pp.189-204. Macmillan Press Ltd. 24- Zandvoort, R.W. 1972. A Handbook of English 11- Marchand, H. 1969. The Categories and Types of Grammar. London: Longman Group Ltd. Present Day English Word Formation. Munchen: Becksche Verlagsbuchn and Lund.

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التصغري يف اللغة اإلجنليزية واللهجة احلضرمية

خالد عوض بن مخاشن

الملخص

يستيدف ىذا البحث دراسة ظاىرة التصغير في المغة اإلنجميزية والميجة العربية الحضرمية , وذلك من خالل دراسة اآللية الصرفية التي يتم بيا التصغير وتحديد أجزاء الكالم التي يمكن تصغيرىا ومعرفة استخدامات التصغير والمعاني التي يمكن أن يدل عمييا. وأظير البحث أن التصغير في المغة اإلنجميزية يتم بطريقتين: الطريقة األولى ىي أن توضع أمام الكممة المراد تصغيرىا كممة أخرى توحي بالتصغير مثل كممة )صغير( أو كممة )قميل( والطريقة الثانية أن تضاف الحقة إلى الكممة المراد تصغيرىا. وقد تبين أن األسماء وقميال ا من الصفات ىي التي يمكن تصغيرىا في المغة اإلنجميزية في حين أظير البحث أن التصغير في الميجة العربية الحضرمية يتم بطريقة مختمفة تما اما عن المغة اإلنجميزية, فالتصغير في ىذه الميجة يتم بتغيير صوائت جذر الكممة وفق أو ازن معينة. وعمى خالف اإلنجميزية أظير البحث أن األسماء والصفات وبعض األفعال وضمائر اإلشارة وبعض الظروف المكانية يمكن تصغيرىا في ىذه الميجة. أما فيما يتعمق باستخدامات ىذه الكممات المص ّغرة في المغتين فقد لوحظ أنيا متعددة كتقميل حجم المص ّغر, أو تحقير شأنو , أو التحبب والتودد إليو ,أو لمداللة عمى قرب المكان أو الزمان.

مجمة جامعة حضرموت لمعموم اإلنسانية المجمد 51 , العدد 5 , يونيو 8152 622