Typology of Slovene and English Diminutive Suffixes in the Framework of Distributed Morphology

Kavčič, Karin (author), Marvin Derganc, Tatjana (mentor), Ilc, Gašper (mentor)

The thesis deals with Slovene and English diminutive suffixes. Semantic properties of diminutives are described in the beginning, followed by an overview of various diminutive formation processes in both languages. Since the research on diminutives has largely been focused on their functional properties, the thesis provides a typological analysis of the formal aspects of diminutive suffixes, focusing mainly on the place and manner of attachment in a morphological structure of the word. The framework of Distributed Morphology serves as a basis for the analysis. Considering the place of attachment in a syntactic structure, the suffixes are categorized either as being able to attach directly to a √root or being able to merge with an already categorized word. When it comes to the manner of attachment, the suffixes act as syntactic heads if they are able to change the grammatical features (e.g. grammatical gender and inflectional class) of the base. Providing they do not determine the formal properties of the base, they are defined as modifiers. The thesis provides additional support to the assertion that there is variation in the place and manner of attachment of diminutive suffixes cross-linguistically, and further shows that the variation exists even within a single language, namely Slovene.

• Language: English
• Keywords: diminutives, suffixes, diminutive suffixes, typology, morphology, Distributed Morphology, Slovene, English
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Year: 2021
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-130542
• COBISS.SI-ID: 80258051
• Publication date in RUL: 16.09.2021

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Tipologija slovenskih in angleških manjšalnih pripon v okviru razpršene morfologije

Abstract

Magistrsko delo obravnava slovenske in angleške manjšalne pripone. V začetku so opisane semantične značilnosti manjšalnic, katerim sledi pregled različnih tvorbenih vzorcev v obeh jezikih. Do sedaj so bile manjšalnice pogosto preučevane predvsem s funkcijskega vidika, zato se magistrsko delo osredotoča na tipološko analizo njihovih formalnih lastnosti, natančneje na način in mesto vezave pripon v strukturi besede. Analiza je osnovana na teoretičnem okviru razpršene morfologije. Pripone so glede na mesto vezave v strukturi besede razvrščene kot zmožne združevanja neposredno s korenom, ali pa z že prej kategorizirano besedo. Glede na način vezave so pripone opredeljene kot skladenjska jedra kadar določajo ali so zmožne spremeniti slovnične značilnosti besede, kot sta slovnični spol in sklanjatveni vzorec. Kadar teh značilnosti ne določajo, so pripone opredeljene kot modifikatorji. Magistrsko delo dodatno podpre trditev o variaciji mesta in načina vezave manjšalnih pripon med jeziki, hkrati pa osvetljuje tudi dejstvo, da variacija obstaja tudi znotraj enega jezika samega, in sicer slovenščine.

• Keywords: manjšalnice, pripone, manjšalne pripone, tipologija, morfologija, razpršena morfologija, slovenščina, angleščina