A person is always pleased when he is addressed in a special way. In this article, we will talk specifically about how diminutive words (diminutives) are formed in Russian and English, as well as how they can be applied to loved ones.
About Russian language
It is worth mentioning that the Russian language is rich in various variations of diminutive words. And this is not surprising, because how else can you express the whole gamut of emotions that occurs when you see a loved one? It will not be enough to say “my cat”, I would also like to call my soul mate “cat” or “cat”. And for this it’s enough to just use various suffixes. However, it is still worth mentioning that diminutive words formed with the help of suffixes are used mainly in colloquial speech for its more vivid coloring.
Suffix –ek
Diminutive words with the suffix –ek are formed when the lexeme changes in cases. In this case, the vowel sound drops out of it. Example: son - son . In this case, the vowel “e” in the test word is perfectly observed . Other examples: a flower - a flower, a man - a man .
Suffix -ik
Unlike the previous version, this suffix is also formed when the word is changed in cases, however, the vowel does not drop out of it. Consider an example: hippo - hippo . It is clearly seen that the vowel letter “and” remained in place in the test word. Other examples: a soldier is a soldier .
Suffixes
There are three simple rules for when these suffixes are used:
- After soft consonants ( small ).
- After sizzling ( kitty ).
- After the vowels ( serif ).
It is also worth mentioning that these suffixes are used when you need to create diminutive words from the names: Tanya, Olenka .
Suffixes -point, -one
In other cases, not described above, these suffixes are used. Examples: eyes, apple tree . Also, these suffixes are used to form diminutive forms of personal names: Dimochka, Tomochka .
Suffix –ul
Son, mother, wife , are also words with diminutive suffixes. In this embodiment, the indicated morpheme is often used to form diminutives from the names of family ties or personal names. Examples: granny, grandpa, son, Masha .
Important Nuances
It is worth paying attention to that diminutive suffixes will never be stressed, they are unstressed. Example: kitty, lapochka (the capital letter here is the designation of the stressed vowel).
About English
Having examined the basic rules for the formation of diminutive words with the help of suffixes in the Russian language, we turn to the most common foreign language - English. It is not so simple as it seems at first glance.
- Names It will be interesting that for Russian people Maria can be Masha, Masha, Masha, etc., for the British she will be just Mary. And for them it is in the order of things. In English, there are practically no diminutive forms of names. Short forms are possible, of course: William - Bill - Billy, James - Jim - Jimmy. However, such words are used more often in relation to children. And when referring to an adult, it is better to clarify what short name he is used to.
- Common nouns. Some of them in English still have a diminutive form. However, they must be used with great care. Example: cat - kitty. But here the horse can be called horsie instead of horse only by children, it is forgiven for them. Adults do not say that.
- About the translation. Any American will be laughed at by an attempt by a Russian to translate into their language, for example, the word "flower". Analogue simply does not exist. You could just say a little flower. The same affectionate words as “honey”, “love”, do not have a translation at all. And calling the girlie girl ("girl"), and you can even offend her.
The following point will also be important: since women in America are very feminist-minded, men try, even in an informal setting, not to call them affectionate names. The maximum that is allowed is to do it in an intimate atmosphere. It is precisely by such rules that diminutive words in English are formed (or, more correctly, not formed).
Names
Now in more detail we will consider what diminutive words can be used for a girl and a guy. So, start with the names. To do this, you just need to use one of the suffixes, and Dima will become Dimochka, and Nastya - Nastenka. Moreover, there can be several variations of the same name in an endearing form: Tanya - Tanya, Tanyusha, Tanya .
Flora fauna
What can be diminutive words for a guy? For example, why not use the names of plants or animals? A loved one can be called a bunny, cat, fish, hamster. At the same time, the girl can be compared with a flower, a rose, etc. It is worth saying that nature is so close to the Russian man that he rather refers to the soul mate as something alive than not life (after all, no one calls a loved one or beloved locker or microwave).
Wuxi pusi
You can come up with various diminutive words for a man from the field of so-called syusyukaniy. So, why not call the guy lapuli, musik or mutusik? This is unusual and always pleasant. However, one caveat: it is better to name your lover in an intimate atmosphere, and not among friends. Indeed, sometimes it’s possible to destroy the authority of a guy in the eyes of his comrades. Regarding the girl, this rule most often does not work.
World wealth
How else can you call your soul mate diminutively? Here are some great options: the sun, asterisk, gold , etc. All these words are perfect for both a guy and a girl.
Adjectives
You can also use adjectives to create diminutive words. So, “beauties”, “Manyuni”, “smarties”, etc. sound pretty good. Thus, almost any feature of the second half can be emphasized in this way.
Unknown words
Well, of course, why not call your soul mate something special, independently invented? It sounds original and more pleasant. In the world there are "crocodiles", "manusics", "mutniki". You just need to turn on your imagination or just follow the command of the heart.
Simple conclusions
And finally, I want to say that you don’t need to be afraid or embarrassed to use diminutive forms of words to name your soul mates. We should be glad that the Russian language is so rich. It allows us to create affectionate forms from almost all existing words.