The following is a list of diminutives by language.
Indo-European languages
Germanic languages
English English has a great variety of historical diminutives adopted from other languages but many of these are lexicalized. Productive diminutives are infrequent to nonexistent in Standard English in comparison with many other languages.Klaus P. Schneider, Diminutives in English, Max Niemeyer Verlag 2003.
Native English endings that could be seen as diminutives
-k/-ock/-uck: bollock, bullock, buttock, fetlock, hillock, mattock (OE mattuc), mullock, pillock, stalk, whelk, yolk -n/-en/-on (accusative or feminine): chicken, kitten, maiden -le (frequentative -l): puddle, sparkle -s: Becks, Betts, Wills -sie/-sies/-sy (babytalk assimilative or from patrici- of Patsy): bitsy, footsie (1930), halfsies, onesies, popsy (1860), teensy-weensy, tootsie (1854), twosies, Betsy, Patsy, Robsy -o (American nicknaming, later Commonwealth): bucko, daddio, garbo, kiddo, smoko, wacko, Jacko, Ricko, -er/-ers/-ster (diminutive, hypocoristic, also elided rhotic -a): bonkers (1948), preggers (1940), starkers (1905), Becker[s], Lizzers, Hankster, Patster -a (Geordie assimilative -er): Gazza, Macca -z (Geordie -s): Bez, Chaz, Gaz -y (assimilative -y): buddy, doggy, horsey
Loanwords and native English words using foreign-language diminutives -ling (Norse diminutive-patrinominative): darling, duckling, fingerling, gosling, underling -erel/-rel (Franco-Latin comparative, pejorative -(t)eriale): cockerel (1450s), coistrel (1570s), doggerel (1249), dotterel (15th century), gangrel (14th century), hoggerel, kestrel (15th century), mackerel (c. 1300), minstrel (1180), mongrel (1540s), pickerel (1388), puckerel, scoundrel (1589), suckerel, taistrel (18th century, N for E tearstrel: tear+-ster+-rel), tumbrel (1223), titterel/whimbrel (1520s), wastrel (1847) -el/-il/-ille/-l/-le (Norman-Francish lenite -c-/-g- or metathetic -i- dim. -iol-): broil (14th century; F brusle), broil (15th century; VL brodicula), griddle (c. 1300, ME gridel, F gredil, VL graticula; cognate with E hurdle), grille (1661), jail (1250s; F jaiole, nF gaiole, VL gabiola, L caveola), mail (1320; L macula), pill (1400), quail (c. 1300; ML quaccula), rail (1320; L regula), rail (1460; VL rasculum), rail (1450s; VL ragula), roll (c. 1300), squirrel (1327), toil (c. 1300; VL tudicula), trail (c. 1300; VL tragula) -et/-ette/-etti/-etto/-it/-ita/-ito/-itta (F-S-I-L diminutive -itat-): amaretto, burrito, cigarette, clarinet, courgette, diskette, fajita, falsetto, faucet (c. 1400), gambit (1656), kitchenette, marionette, minuet, oubliette, palette, pallet (1350s), parquet, poppet (c. 1300), puppet (16th century), rabbit (1380), Sagitta, señorita, spaghetti, suffragette, swallet (c. 1660), taquito, towelette, wallet (1350s) -ot/-otte (F ablaut or assimilative dim. -ultat-): culottes, harlot (13th century), Charlotte, Diderot, Lancelot (1180), Margot, Peugeot, Pierrot -let/-lette (F dim.): aglet (15th century), applet (1995), booklet (1859), chicklet (1886), wikt:eyelet (1400), gauntlet, goblet, hamlet (15th century), leaflet (1787), oillet (1350s), omelette (1611), piglet (1883), roulette (1734), tablet (c. 1300) -ey/-ie/-y (Scottish-Dutch dim., 15th century-on): cookie (1703), daddy (c. 1500), dearie, doggy (1820), girlie (1942), kitty (16th century), laddie (1546), mammy (1520), mommy (1902), mummy (1820), sissy (1846), whitey (1820), Debbie, Frankie, Frenchy (1820), Johnny (1670), Marty, Morty, Nancy -kin (Dutch dim.-acc. -ken/-chen, 15th century-on): bodkin, cannikin, catkin, lambkin, manikin, napkin, pannikin, ramekin, welkin (OE wolcen) -kins (hypocoristic dim.-degen.): Laurakins, Sallykins -leus/-ola/-ole/-oli/-ola/-olo/-olus/-ula/-ule/-uleus/-ulum (Francish-Spanish-Italian-Latin dim., mainly 17th century-on): alveolus, areola, areole, article, cannoli, casserole, cerulean, cuniculus, curriculum, Equuleus, ferrule, formula, granule, homunculus, insula, malleolus, majuscule, minuscule, nodule, nucleus, nucleolus, particle, pergola, pendulum, pianola, piccolo, ravioli, raviolo, reticle, reticule, reticulum, spatula, tarantula, vacuole, vinculum -eau/-el/-ella/-elle/-ello/-il/-illa/-ille/-illo/-le (F-S-I-L bidim.; E -kin): armadillo, bordello, bureau, castle (OE castel, <1000), codicil, espadrille, flotilla, limoncello, mantle, Monticello, morsel, organelle, pastel, pencil, pestle, quadrille, quarrel, rowel (1344), scintilla, vanilla, violoncello -ina/-ine/-ini/-ino (F-S-I simulative, mainly 1750s-on; E -like or -ling as adj. but cognate with -ing as n. or adj.): bambino, coquina, doctrine (1350s), domino, farina, figurine, linguine, maraschino, marina, neutrino, palomino, tambourine, zucchini mini-/micro- (commercial miniature compound): minibar, miniblind, miniboss, minibus, minicar (1949), minicassette (1967), minicomputer (1963), minigame, minigun, minimall, minimarket (1965), minimart, mini-nuke, minischool, miniseries (1974), miniskirt (1965), minitower, minivan, miniver (1250), mini-LP, mini-me, MiniDisc, microkitchen, microcosm
Scots
In Lowland Scots diminutives are frequently used. The most common diminutive suffixes are -, -ock, -ockie (double diminutive) or the Caithness -ag (the latter from Scottish Gaelic, and perhaps reinforcing the other two before it). - is by far the most common suffix used. Others are -le or -er for frequentative or diminutive emphasis. Less frequent diminutives are -kin (often after the diminutive -) and -lin.
Examples include -: burnie (small burn), feardie or feartie (frightened person, coward), gamie (gamekeeper), kiltie (kilted soldier), mannie (man), Nessie (Loch Ness Monster), postie (postman), wifie (woman) -ock: bittock (wee bit, little bit), playock (toy), sourock (sorrel), -ag: Cheordag (Geordie), bairnag (small child) -ockie: hooseockie (little house), wifockie (little woman) -le: crummle (a bread-crumb), snirtle (snigger, snort) -er: plowter (dabble), stoiter (stumble) -kin: cuitikins (spatterdashes), flindrikin (light, flimsy), joskin (yokel) -lin: hauflin (half-grown boy), gorblin (unfledged bird)
Dutch In Dutch, diminutives are used extensively. Their meaning often goes beyond a reduction in size and they are not merely restricted to nouns. The nuances of meaning expressed by diminutives are particularly unique to Dutch and can be difficult to master for non-native speakers. Diminutives are very productive endings,Bruce Donaldson, Dutch: A Comprehensive Grammar, Routledge, 2008. , 9781134082360, p.61 they can change the function of a word and are formed by adding one of the suffixes -je, -pje, -kje, -, -etje to the word in question, depending on the latter's phonology: -je for words ending in -b, -c, -d, -t, -f, -g, -ch, -k, -p, -v, -x, -z or -s: neef → neefje (male cousin, nephew), lach → lachje (laugh), schaap → schaapje (sheep) -pje for words ending in -m: boom (tree) → boompje (but bloemetje if the meaning is bouquet of flowers; see below) -kje for words ending in -ing: koning (king) → koninkje (the 'ng'-sound transforms into 'nk'), but vondeling → vondelingetje (foundling) - for words ending in -h, -j, -l, -n, -r, -w, or a vowel other than -y: zoen → zoen (kiss), boei → boei (buoy), appel → appel (apple), ei → ei (egg), keu → keu (billiard cue). In case of a single open vowel, when adding "-" would change the pronunciation, this vowel is doubled: auto → autoo (car), café → cafee (pub) (note the accent is lost because the 'ee' preserves the right pronunciation). The word jongen (boy) has an irregular diminutive, losing its ending -en: jongen → jongetje -′ for words ending in -y and for abbreviations: baby → baby', cd → cd', A4 → A4' -etje for words ending in -b, -l, -m, -n, -ng or -r preceded by a "short" (lax) vowel: bal → balletje (ball), kam → kammetje (comb), ding → dingetje (thing), kar → karretje (cart). Note that except for the ending -ng the final consonant is doubled to preserve the vowel's shortness. A few words have several diminutives: kip → kippetje or kipje (chicken), rib → ribbetje or ribje (rib). One word has even three possible diminutives: rad → radje, raadje or radertje (cog). A few words have more than one diminutive, of which one is formed by lengthening of the vowel sound with a different meaning. Examples: gat-gaatje/gatje, glas-glaasje/glasje, lot-lootje/lotje, pad-paadje/padje
Suffix IPA Final letter Remarks Example Translation Diminutive -je t d / t bad bath badje f f straf punishment strafje ɣ / χ g / ch dag day dagje k k dak roof dakje p p schaap sheep schaapje s s kaas cheese kaasje ks x fax fax faxje - aː a This is an open vocal vla custard vlaatje eː e This is an open vocal zee sea zeetje i / iː / y This is an open vocal knie knee knietje oː o / eau This is an open vocal bureau desk bureautje y u This is an open vocal menu menu menuutje l l When preceded by a doubled open vowel paal pole paaltje n n When preceded by a doubled open vowel baan job baantje r / ɾ / ʁ r When preceded by a doubled open vowel haar hair haartje -etje l l When preceded by a closed vowel bal ball balletje m m When preceded by a closed vowel dam dam dammetje n n When preceded by a closed vowel kan jug kannetje r / ɾ / ʁ r When preceded by a closed vowel kar car karretje ŋ ng When preceded by a closed vowel slang snake slangetje -pje m m When preceded by a closed vowel boom tree boompje raam window raampje zeem chammy zeempje -kje ɪŋ ing When a noun contains more than one syllable and the stress is on the syllable before the -ing ending, the diminutive suffix will be -kje. The ng will be replaced by the cluster -nkje. woning home woninkje mening opinion meninkje pudding pudding puddinkje haring herring harinkje Dutch Nouns : An introduction to Dutch nouns - Ron de Leeuw; Chapter 5 Dimuntives; page 12; publication date: 22-11-2015 archive.org; checked: 14-03-2023
The diminutive suffixes -ke(n) (from which the Western Dutch and later Standard Dutch form - has derived by palatalization), -eke(n), -ske(n), -, -kie, and -pie are (still) regularly used in different dialects instead of the former mentioned. Some of these form part of expressions that became standard language: Slapie: a buddy who one shares sleeping quarters with Jonkie: a young one Koppiekoppie: smart thinking Koek en zopie: small food and drinks stall for ice skaters that springs up along frozen canals during winter Makkie: easy job, piece of cake (From gemak = ease.) Manneke(n): little man, little fellow (from which the word mannequin was derived) Bakkie: cup (of coffee), rig (radio transmitter), trailer
The form -ke(n) is nowadays still present in many women's names: Janneke (< Jan < Johannes, Dutch equivalent of John); Renske (< Rens, men's name); Marieke, Marijke, Mieke, Meike (all from Maria); Anneke (< Anna, Anne); Tineke (< Martine); Joke, Hanneke (< Johanna); and many others like Lieneke (<< Catharina, compare Caitlin), Lonneke, Wieteke, Dineke, Nelleke, etc. Similar women's names, such as Femke and Sjouke, exist in Frisian. Until the early twentieth century the diminutive was a normal way (in the Netherlands, not in Belgium) of forming men's names into women's names: Dirk → Dirkje, Pieter → Pietertje.
In Dutch, the diminutive is not merely restricted to nouns, but the diminutive form is a noun in some cases. Note that adverbs get an extra s appended to the diminutive: adjectives: groen (green) → groen (lit. "little green" meaning rookie) adjective → noun; adverbs: even (just) → eventjes ("just a minute"); net (neat) → netjes (properly); zacht (soft) → zachtjes (gently, slowly) numerals: een-twee (numeral one-two → with diminutive one-two pass) numeral → noun; wij drietjes (numeral three → with diminutive the three of us); vijfje, tientje, twintigje etc. → numeral five, ten, twenty etc. → with diminutive a coin or bank note with a value of five, ten, twenty etc.. → noun personal pronouns: onderonsje (pronoun us → with diminutive tête-à-tête)