Diminutives in English

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The notion that English lacks diminutives is a common misconception. This study demonstrates that English indeed features both analytic and synthetic diminutive markers. Analytic markers primarily include "little" and other related adjectives, while synthetic markers consist of suffixes such as -ie, -ette, -let, -kin, -een, -s, -er, -poo, and -pegs. These markers are analyzed through a formal-functional framework that incorporates both grammatical and pragmatic perspectives. The grammatical analysis focuses on phonological, morphological, and semantic characteristics, while the pragmatic analysis examines pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic aspects within speech acts and larger dialogue interactions. Findings indicate that English diminutive suffixes are among the most productive in the language. Although these suffixes share several features, each has developed a distinct profile regarding semantic and pragmatic aspects. In everyday conversation, there is a functional distinction between synthetic and analytic formations concerning their communicative roles and discourse distribution. The choice of diminutive form and its function is heavily influenced by pragmatic factors, including the illocution, interactive status, realization strategy, politeness value, and the relationship between speakers.