Augmentative
Encyclopedia
An augmentative is a morphological
form of a word which expresses greater intensity, often in size, but also in other attributes. It is the opposite
of a diminutive
.
Since overaugmenting something often makes it grotesque, in some languages augmentatives are used primarily for comical effect or as pejorative
s.
Many languages have augmentatives for noun
s; some have augmentatives for verb
s.
, augmentatives can be created with the prefixes:
Since the early 1990s, the prefix über- has also frequently been used as a borrowing from German.
, augmentatives are usually created with the prefixes:
There are also prefixes that can be used for some adjectives:
, there are different ways to build augmentatives. They are rarely used prefixes:
has a variety of augmentative suffixes: -α, -άρα, -αράς, ΄-αρος, -άκλα, -ακλάς, ΄-ακλας.
has several augmentatives:
, the most common augmentatives are the masculine -ão (sometimes also -zão or -zarrão) and the feminine -ona (or -zona), although there are others, less frequently used. E.g. carro "car", carrão "big car"; homem "man", homenzarrão "big man"; mulher "woman", mulherona "big woman".
Sometimes, especially in Brazilian Portuguese
, the masculine augmentative can be applied to a feminine noun, which then becomes grammatically masculine, but with a feminine meaning (e.g. "o mulherão" instead of "a mulherona" for "the big woman"); however, such cases usually imply subtle meaning twists, mostly with a somewhat gross or vulgar undertone (which, nonetheless, is often intentional, for the sake of wit, malice or otherwise; so, mulherão actually means not a big woman, but a particularly sexy one).
there are several augmentative suffixes: -oi/-oaie, -an/-ană etc. (masc/fem pairs).
From an unattested Late Latin -onus, -ona, the origin of the other Romance augmentative suffixes.
The archaic form has survived unchanged in Banat ( and in Aromanian) as -on', -oan'e
As in other languages, a feminine base word may have masculine or feminine forms in the augmentative. Examples:
, -o becomes -ón and -a becomes -ona most frequently, but -ote/-ota and -azo/-aza (meaning -blow) are also commonly seen. Others include -udo/-uda, -aco/-aca, -acho/-acha, -uco/-uca, -ucho/-ucha, -astro/-astra and -ejo/-eja. More detail at Spanish nouns.
is a variety of augmentatives formed with suffixes, for example: żaba (a frog) - żabucha - żabsko - żabisko - żabula or kamień (a stone) - kamulec - kamior etc.
is a variety of augmentatives formed with suffixes, including -ище and -ин for example: дом (the house) домище (great house) домина (huge house). To provide an impression of excessive qualities the suffix -га can be used for example: ветер (the wind), ветрюга (strong wind).
and Croatian
is a variety of augmentatives formed with suffixes, most commonly with -ina.
) or repetition (frequentative
).
, the -eg- suffix is included before the final part-of-speech vowel. For example, domo (house) becomes domego (mansion). See Esperanto vocabulary.
does not have an augmentative suffix, but international prefixes
such as super-, hyper-, mega- can be used as augmentatives. See also Interlingua grammar
.
Morphology (linguistics)
In linguistics, morphology is the identification, analysis and description, in a language, of the structure of morphemes and other linguistic units, such as words, affixes, parts of speech, intonation/stress, or implied context...
form of a word which expresses greater intensity, often in size, but also in other attributes. It is the opposite
Antonym
In lexical semantics, opposites are words that lie in an inherently incompatible binary relationship as in the opposite pairs male : female, long : short, up : down, and precede : follow. The notion of incompatibility here refers to the fact that one word in an opposite pair entails that it is not...
of a diminutive
Diminutive
In language structure, a diminutive, or diminutive form , is a formation of a word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning, smallness of the object or quality named, encapsulation, intimacy, or endearment...
.
Since overaugmenting something often makes it grotesque, in some languages augmentatives are used primarily for comical effect or as pejorative
Pejorative
Pejoratives , including name slurs, are words or grammatical forms that connote negativity and express contempt or distaste. A term can be regarded as pejorative in some social groups but not in others, e.g., hacker is a term used for computer criminals as well as quick and clever computer experts...
s.
Many languages have augmentatives for noun
Noun
In linguistics, a noun is a member of a large, open lexical category whose members can occur as the main word in the subject of a clause, the object of a verb, or the object of a preposition .Lexical categories are defined in terms of how their members combine with other kinds of...
s; some have augmentatives for verb
Verb
A verb, from the Latin verbum meaning word, is a word that in syntax conveys an action , or a state of being . In the usual description of English, the basic form, with or without the particle to, is the infinitive...
s.
English
In modern EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, augmentatives can be created with the prefixes:
- over-: e.g., overlord and overseer.
- grand-: e.g., grandmaster and grandparent.
- super-: e.g., supermarket and superpower.
- mega-: e.g., mega store and megastar.
Since the early 1990s, the prefix über- has also frequently been used as a borrowing from German.
Dutch
In modern DutchDutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, augmentatives are usually created with the prefixes:
- over-: e.g., overgewicht and oververhitting (resp. "overweight" and "overheating")
- groot-: e.g., grootmeester and groothandel (resp. "grandmaster" and "wholesaler")
- super-: e.g., supermarkt and supermacht (resp. "supermarket" and "superpower").
- mega-: e.g., megacontract and megabioscoop (resp. "a very big contract," and "a very large movie theater")
There are also prefixes that can be used for some adjectives:
- bloed-: e.g., bloedmooi and bloedeerlijk (resp. "very beautiful" and "very honest"; see "bloody" expensive in English; in Dutch bloed does not have the negative connotation of "bloody")
- steen-: e.g., steenrijk and steengoed (resp. "very rich" and "very good"; lit. "stone rich" and "stone good")
- kei-: e.g., keisnel and keisterk (resp. "very fast" and "very strong", lit. "boulder fast" and "boulder strong")
German
In GermanGerman language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, there are different ways to build augmentatives. They are rarely used prefixes:
- Un-, for instance in Unzahl, Unsumme, Unmenge, Untiefe.
Un- is more often used for negation (e.g. Unglück, Unsinn).
This leads sometimes to confusion: Untiefe when referring to water can mean either very deep or shallow water.
- Aber-, for instance, Abertausend.
Greek
Modern GreekModern Greek
Modern Greek refers to the varieties of the Greek language spoken in the modern era. The beginning of the "modern" period of the language is often symbolically assigned to the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, even though that date marks no clear linguistic boundary and many characteristic...
has a variety of augmentative suffixes: -α, -άρα, -αράς, ΄-αρος, -άκλα, -ακλάς, ΄-ακλας.
Italian
ItalianItalian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
has several augmentatives:
- -one, -ona, found also in several English loanwordLoanwordA loanword is a word borrowed from a donor language and incorporated into a recipient language. By contrast, a calque or loan translation is a related concept where the meaning or idiom is borrowed rather than the lexical item itself. The word loanword is itself a calque of the German Lehnwort,...
s from Italian: minestroneMinestroneMinestrone is the name for a variety of thick Italian soups made with vegetables, often with the addition of pasta or rice. Common ingredients include beans, onions, celery, carrots, stock, and tomatoes....
(< minestra 'soup'); provolone cheese (< provola 'ewe'); cartone (< carta 'paper') appears in English cartonCartonCarton is the name of certain types of containers typically made from paperboard which is also sometimes known as cardboard. Many types of cartons are used in packaging. Sometimes a carton is also called a box.-Folding cartons:...
and cartoonCartoonA cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
; ballone (< possibly from balla 'ball', but perhaps a French formation being the proper Italian word "palla"); - -accio, -accia (mainly a pejorative): coltellaccio (< coltello 'knife'; gives English cutlassCutlassA cutlass is a short, broad sabre or slashing sword, with a straight or slightly curved blade sharpened on the cutting edge, and a hilt often featuring a solid cupped or basket shaped guard...
); the family name Carpaccio; - -astro, -astra.
Portuguese
In PortuguesePortuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
, the most common augmentatives are the masculine -ão (sometimes also -zão or -zarrão) and the feminine -ona (or -zona), although there are others, less frequently used. E.g. carro "car", carrão "big car"; homem "man", homenzarrão "big man"; mulher "woman", mulherona "big woman".
Sometimes, especially in Brazilian Portuguese
Brazilian Portuguese
Brazilian Portuguese is a group of Portuguese dialects written and spoken by most of the 190 million inhabitants of Brazil and by a few million Brazilian emigrants, mainly in the United States, United Kingdom, Portugal, Canada, Japan and Paraguay....
, the masculine augmentative can be applied to a feminine noun, which then becomes grammatically masculine, but with a feminine meaning (e.g. "o mulherão" instead of "a mulherona" for "the big woman"); however, such cases usually imply subtle meaning twists, mostly with a somewhat gross or vulgar undertone (which, nonetheless, is often intentional, for the sake of wit, malice or otherwise; so, mulherão actually means not a big woman, but a particularly sexy one).
Romanian
In RomanianRomanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
there are several augmentative suffixes: -oi/-oaie, -an/-ană etc. (masc/fem pairs).
From an unattested Late Latin -onus, -ona, the origin of the other Romance augmentative suffixes.
The archaic form has survived unchanged in Banat ( and in Aromanian) as -on', -oan'e
As in other languages, a feminine base word may have masculine or feminine forms in the augmentative. Examples:
- casă (f.) -> căsoi (n.), căsoaie (f.)
- piatră (f.) -> pietroi (n.)
- băiat (m.) -> băieţoi (m.)
- băiat (m.) -> băietan (m.)
- fată (f.) ->fătoi (f.)
Spanish
In SpanishSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, -o becomes -ón and -a becomes -ona most frequently, but -ote/-ota and -azo/-aza (meaning -blow) are also commonly seen. Others include -udo/-uda, -aco/-aca, -acho/-acha, -uco/-uca, -ucho/-ucha, -astro/-astra and -ejo/-eja. More detail at Spanish nouns.
Bulgarian
In Bulgarian, as in Russian, mainly with -ище.Polish
In PolishPolish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
is a variety of augmentatives formed with suffixes, for example: żaba (a frog) - żabucha - żabsko - żabisko - żabula or kamień (a stone) - kamulec - kamior etc.
Russian
In RussianRussian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
is a variety of augmentatives formed with suffixes, including -ище and -ин for example: дом (the house) домище (great house) домина (huge house). To provide an impression of excessive qualities the suffix -га can be used for example: ветер (the wind), ветрюга (strong wind).
Serbian and Croatian
In SerbianSerbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
and Croatian
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
is a variety of augmentatives formed with suffixes, most commonly with -ina.
Arabic
Form II of the Arabic verb often has an augmentative sense, which may indicate intensity (intensiveIntensive
In grammar, an intensive word form is one which denotes stronger or more forceful action relative to the root on which the intensive is built. Intensives are usually lexical formations, but there may be a regular process for forming intensives from a root...
) or repetition (frequentative
Frequentative
In grammar, a frequentative form of a word is one which indicates repeated action. The frequentative form can be considered a separate, but not completely independent word, called a frequentative...
).
Esperanto
In EsperantoEsperanto
is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
, the -eg- suffix is included before the final part-of-speech vowel. For example, domo (house) becomes domego (mansion). See Esperanto vocabulary.
Interlingua
InterlinguaInterlingua
Interlingua is an international auxiliary language , developed between 1937 and 1951 by the International Auxiliary Language Association...
does not have an augmentative suffix, but international prefixes
Free word-building in Interlingua
Words can be included in Interlingua in either of two ways: by establishing their internationality or by deriving them using Interlingua words and affixes. The second of these methods is often called free word-building.-Free derivation and compounding:...
such as super-, hyper-, mega- can be used as augmentatives. See also Interlingua grammar
Interlingua grammar
This article is an informal outline of the grammar of Interlingua, an international auxiliary language first publicized by IALA. It follows the usage of the original grammar text , which is accepted today but regarded as conservative....
.