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<DIV><SPAN class=511313718-26032005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>One of
the semantic phenomena that we must grapple with in lexicography is extended
metaphor. If we can define a diminutive suffix as "a small X", then it would be
subject to the extended metaphor "Good is big, bad is small." From these
metaphors we have such expressions as "small minded" and "big hearted." It would
stand to reason, then, that any diminutive could be pejorative. A good
dictionary should note whenever an idiom or derivative is based on an extended
metaphor. I also recommend that we include an appendix of
metaphors:</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=511313718-26032005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=511313718-26032005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Being
bad is being small:</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=511313718-26032005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>feel
small, little courage, little imagination, small fry, small minded, smalltime,
small wonder, weakling </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=511313718-26032005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=511313718-26032005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Ron
Moe</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> Fritz Goerling
[mailto:Fritz_Goerling@sil.org]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, March 26, 2005 11:18
AM<BR><B>To:</B> lexicographylist@yahoogroups.com<BR><B>Subject:</B> RE:
[Lexicog] Pejorative suffixes<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><TT><BR>> On 26/03/2005 17:19, Fritz Goerling
wrote:<BR>><BR>> > Fritz Goerling
wrote:<BR>> > <BR>>
> >How productive is pejorative -ling in
English?<BR>> > >
<BR>> > Peter
Kirk:<BR>> > <BR>>
> I don't think this is pejorative in English either, it is simply
a<BR>> >
diminutive.<BR>> >
...<BR>> > <BR>> >
(FG) How about courtling, earthling, underling?
<BR>> >
<BR>> <BR>> (PK)
<BR>> Well, it is the "under" rather than the
"-ling" which makes<BR>>
"underling"<BR>> pejorative. And "earthling" was
not originally pejorative, although I<BR>> have
seen it used as such. I have never seen "courtling".
<BR>> <BR>> (FG)
How about hireling,
princeling?<BR>> <BR><SPAN
class=859040918-26032005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff> (PK) </FONT></SPAN><BR>"Hireling" is simply someone
who is hired. "Princeling" is a diminutive, <BR>not in physical size of course
but in importance. Of course any <BR>individual diminutive word can become
pejorative, but the primary <BR>meaning is certainly diminutive, like its
cognate German -lein.<FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=859040918-26032005> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></TT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><TT><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=859040918-26032005></SPAN></FONT></FONT></TT> </DIV>
<DIV><TT><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=859040918-26032005>(FG) </SPAN><SPAN
class=859040918-26032005> Well, how about
weakling? </SPAN></FONT></FONT></TT></DIV>
<DIV><TT><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=859040918-26032005> BTW,
not each -ling in German is pejorative but can be endearing (like darling =
Liebling).</SPAN></FONT></FONT></TT></DIV>
<DIV><TT><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=859040918-26032005> Maybe we
can agree that from a diminutive either an endearing or a pejorative term
can</SPAN></FONT></FONT></TT></DIV>
<DIV><TT><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=859040918-26032005>
develop.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></TT><!-- |**|end egp html banner|**| --></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE>
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