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Article published In:
Morphology and emotions across the world's languages
Edited by Maïa Ponsonnet and Marine Vuillermet
[Studies in Language 42:1] 2018
► pp. 17–50

A preliminary typology of emotional connotations in morphological diminutives and augmentatives

| The University of Western Australia | ARC Centre of excellence for the Dynamics of Language | The Australian National University | The University of Sydney
This article presents a preliminary typology of emotional connotations in evaluative morphology, starting with diminutives and augmentatives. I inventory the emotional meanings and connotations found in a sample of nineteen languages for diminutives, and nine languages plus a few additional regional studies for augmentatives. Given the small size of the samples, this typology can only remain preliminary, but it does highlight a number of points. Across languages and continents, diminutives can express positive emotions such as compassion, love and admiration, as well as negative emotions such as contempt. The emotional connotations of augmentatives are more limited, but display a blend of positive and negative emotions including contempt and repulsion, admiration and respect, endearment and compassion. Diminutives and augmentatives do not contrast sharply with respect to emotional valence (positive or negative), but while diminutives are anchored in intimacy, the emotions conveyed by augmentatives more often relate to broader social contexts.
Keywords: evaluative morphology, diminutive, augmentative, expressivity, emotions
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Defining diminutives and augmentatives
    • 1.2Emotions
    • 1.3Aims, methods and limitations
    • 1.4Outline of the paper
  • 2.Diminutives
    • 2.1Data
    • 2.2‘Mild’ and ‘serious’ emotions
    • 2.3Disapproval and contempt
    • 2.4Compassion
    • 2.5Romantic and/or sexually oriented love
    • 2.6Admiration and respect
    • 2.7Comfort and control in personal routines
    • 2.8Emotional coloring
    • 2.9Conclusions
  • 3.Augmentatives
    • 3.1Data
    • 3.2Negative values of augmentatives
      • 3.2.1Contempt and repulsion with respect to excess
      • 3.2.2Danger, threat and fear
    • 3.3Positive values of augmentatives
      • 3.3.1Admiration for high social status
      • 3.3.2Endearment and compassion
    • 3.4Conclusions
  • 4.Comparing emotional connotations of augmentatives and diminutives
    • 4.1Positive vs negative contrast?
    • 4.2Overlaps and contrasts in emotional values
  • 5.Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 19 April 2018
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/sl.00002.pon
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