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diminutive en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /dɪˈmɪn.ju.ə.tɪv/ (nonstandard)
• /dəˈmən.jə.təv/ (New-Zealand)
• dĭ-mĭn′yə-tĭv
• /dɪˈmɪn.jə.tɪv/ (Australia, Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation, Scotland)
• (US) audio

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English diminutif, derived from Old French diminutif, derived from Latin dīminutīv|us, ~a, ~um (adjective), from dīminūt|us, ~a, ~um (participle), perfect passive participle of dīmin|uō, ~uere, ~uī, ~ūtum (verb). First attested in 1398.

Meanings

1. Very small.
   • Roman Sharonov rose unchallenged to head a corner wide, while diminutive winger Gokdeniz Karadeniz ghosted in with a diving header from the edge of the six-yard box that was acrobatically kept out by Gomes. 2011 October 20, Jamie Lillywhite, “Tottenham 1 - 0 Rubin Kazan”, in BBC Sport:
   • Mrs. Washington ("Oh, la, call me Martha, Boys") is a diminutive woman with a cheerful rather than happy air, who seems to bustle even when standing still.. 1997, Thomas Pynchon, Mason & Dixon, New York: Henry Holt and Company, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 229:
2. (obsolete) Serving to diminish.
   • 1711, Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury, Characteristicks of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times, 1714 edition republished by Gregg International Publishers, 1968, Volume 3, Miscellany 3, Chapter 2, p. 175, They cou’d, perhaps, even embrace POVERTY contentedly, rather than submit to any thing diminutive either of their inward Freedom or national Liberty.
3. Of or pertaining to, or creating a word form expressing smallness, youth, unimportance, or endearment.

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
more diminutive	Degree=Cmp		lexicographic
dim.	Abbr=Yes	alternative	lexicographic
most diminutive	Degree=Sup		lexicographic

Antonyms

augmentative · gigantic · huge

Deriveds

diminutivize · nondiminutive · diminutively · undiminutive · diminutivise · diminutiveness

Synonyms

lilliputian · tiny

Translations (99)

hu kisebbítő (serving to diminish) · hu csökkentő (serving to diminish) · it minuscolo (very small) · es diminutivo (grammar) · ca diminutiu (grammar) · ja 指小辞 (grammar) · es diminutivo (serving to diminish) · ar ضَئِيل (very small) · pl drobny (very small) · cmn 指小詞 /指小词 (grammar) · el μειωτικός (serving to diminish) · el υποκοριστικός (grammar) · nl minuscuul (very small) · pt diminuidor (serving to diminish) · cs deminutivní (grammar) · hu kicsinyítő (grammar) · bg миниатю́рен (very small) · ar تَصْغِيرِيّ (grammar) · vi giảm kích (grammar) · nb diminutiv (grammar) · de winzig (very small) · cs drobný (very small) · hu parányi (very small) · ru диминути́вный (grammar) · fr diminutif (grammar) · mi ngorangora (very small) · yi דימינוטיוו (grammar) · uk зме́ншувальний (grammar) · pt diminuto (very small) · nb diminutiv (very small) · pl miniaturowy (very small) · az dınqılı (very small) · ca diminut (very small) · ru уменьши́тельный (serving to diminish) · ru миниатю́рный (very small) · bg умали́телен (serving to diminish) · da diminutiv (grammar) · nn diminutiv (grammar) · io diminutiva (grammar) · el μικροσκοπικός (very small) · fi pienentävä (serving to diminish) · nl diminutief (grammar) · it diminutivo (serving to diminish) · ko 지소사 (grammar) · de verkleinernd (serving to diminish) · fi pikkiriikkinen (very small) · pl zdrobniały (grammar) · sv diminutiv (very small) · pt minúsculo (very small) · mi nepinepi (very small) · de diminutiv (very small) · ga bídeach (very small) · fr minuscule (very small) · tr minik (very small) · hu kicsinyítő (serving to diminish) · pt diminutivo (serving to diminish) · sv pytteliten (very small) · fi pikkuruinen (very small) · bg умали́телен (grammar) · es diminuto (very small) · sv förminskande (serving to diminish) · hu pici (very small) · ro diminutiv (very small) · sk drobný (very small) · sk deminutívny (grammar) · ru уменьши́тельно-ласка́тельный (grammar) · cmn 小稱詞 /小称词 (grammar) · ru уменьши́тельный (grammar) · fi vähäinen (very small) · kab imsemẓi (grammar) · hu pöttöm (very small) · pt diminutivo (grammar) · hy նվազական (grammar) · az dımbılı (very small) · sq zvogëlues (grammar) · fi deminutiivinen (grammar) · tr küçücük (very small) · bg мъничък (very small) · nl verkleinend (serving to diminish) · mi nepi (very small) · sv diminutiv (grammar) · kab imsemẓi (serving to diminish) · ru деминути́вный (grammar) · hu apró (very small) · ar تَصْغِيرِيّ (serving to diminish) · mi ngihongiho (very small) · fi diminutiivinen (grammar) · nn diminutiv (very small) · da diminutiv (very small) · ru кро́хотный (very small) · nl verkleinings- (grammar) · de diminutiv (grammar) · cy bachigol (grammar) · fi mitätön (very small) · vi nhỏ xíu (very small) · gd meanbh (very small) · pl zmniejszający (serving to diminish) · grc ὑποκοριστικός (grammar) · hu csepp (very small)

diminutive en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /dɪˈmɪn.ju.ə.tɪv/ (nonstandard)
• /dəˈmən.jə.təv/ (New-Zealand)
• dĭ-mĭn′yə-tĭv
• /dɪˈmɪn.jə.tɪv/ (Australia, Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation, Scotland)
• (US) audio

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English diminutif, derived from Old French diminutif, derived from Latin dīminutīv|us, ~a, ~um (adjective), from dīminūt|us, ~a, ~um (participle), perfect passive participle of dīmin|uō, ~uere, ~uī, ~ūtum (verb). First attested in 1398.

Meanings

1. A word form expressing smallness, youth, unimportance, or endearment.
   • Booklet, the diminutive of book, means ‘small book’.
   • The British use the term “fidlets”, a diminutive of “Fid”, which in turn is an acronym for Falkland Island Dependencies, the former name of the British Antarctic Survey. 2024 June 20, Eva Corlett, “Fidlets, fingies and riding a doo: study sheds light on Antarctic English slang”, in The Guardian:
   • When we come to occupative names, we are again confronted by crowds of diminutives. 1916, Ernest Weekley, Surnames, page 287:
   • But I was frightfully fond of the universe and wanted to address it by a diminutive. I often did so; and it never seemed to mind. 1908, G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy:
2. The smallest, thinnest version of a traditional heraldic ordinary ("geometric shape on a shield"), often used to represent multiple instances of a charge or to modify a main, central, and larger charge; not itself modifiable.

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
dim.	Abbr=Yes	alternative	lexicographic
diminutives	Number=Plur		lexicographic

Antonyms

augmentative

Relateds

and suffixes · pet name · dimwit · interjections · diminution · diminish · pet form · hypocorism · diminutize · diminutization · proper nouns

Synonyms

nomen deminutivum

Translations (69)

nl verkleinwoord (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · ko 지소사 (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · cs deminutivum (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · uk зме́ншувальна фо́рма (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · bg умали́телно и́ме (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · ru уменьши́тельное сло́во (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · de Deminutiv (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · es diminutivo (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · hu kicsinyített alak (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · io diminutivo (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · sk zdrobnenina (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · fr diminutif (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · la diminutivum (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · sl pomanjševalnica (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · lt deminutỹvas (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · la deminutivum (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · de Diminutivbildung (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · sh deminutiv (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · fa کوچکنما (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · sk deminutívum (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · fo smækkanarorð (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · cy bachigyn (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · br furm vihanaat (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · he צורת הקטנה (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · is smækkunarending (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · nn diminutiv (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · de Verkleinerungswort (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · el υποκοριστικό (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · et deminutiiv (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · fo minkingarorð (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · de Diminutiv (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · hu kicsinyítő képzős alak (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · pt diminutivo (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · ga díspeagadh (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · cs zdrobnělina (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · de Verkleinerungsform (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · sv diminutiv (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · vo smalamavöd (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · sl manjšálnica (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · th คำเรียกชื่อเล่น (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · de Deminutivum (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · lb Diminutiv (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · sq zvogëlim (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · ru деминути́в (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · it diminutivo (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · pl zdrobnienie (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · cmn 小稱詞 /小称词 (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · hy նվազական (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · ca diminutiu (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · yi דימינוטיוו (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · da diminutiv (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · ro diminutiv (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · gl diminutivo (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · de Diminutivum (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · fi deminutiivi (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · sh umanjenica (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · uk демінути́в (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · ar تَصْغِير (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · vo smalükamavöd (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · ru диминути́в (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · gd meanbhan (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · grc ὑποκοριστικόν (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · cmn 指小詞 /指小词 (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · ru уменьши́тельно-ласка́тельное сло́во (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · eo diminutivo (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · nl diminutief (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · nb diminutiv (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · fa تصغیر (grammar: word form expressing smallness) · ja 指小辞 (grammar: word form expressing smallness)