LL-L "Morphology" 2003.01.05 (16) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 05.JAN.2003 (16) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Morphology

As a postscript to my posting about diminutives and augmentatives I want to
mention another case which, although not Lowlandic, is Germanic, belonging
to the German ("South Germanic"?) branch, namely Yiddish:

Yiddish uses diminutives extensively (like in Dutch or even as extensively
as in Afrikaans).  To derive a diminutive form of a noun, certainly any
Germanic-derived noun, _-(e)l(e)_ is used (and changes any gender to neuter,
like German _-le_, _-l_, _-chen_ do), _-lax_ for plural forms (<x>
pronounced like Dutch <ch>); e.g.,

×§×™× ×“ kind ‘child’ (neut.) > ×§×™× ×“×¢×œ×¢ kindele ~ ×§×™× ×“×œ kindl (neut.) ‘little
child’
×§×™× ×“×¢×¨ kinder ‘children’ > ×§×™× ×“×¢×¨×œ××š kinderlax ‘little children’

שטאָט štot city’, ‘town’ (fem.) > שטעטל _štetl_ (neut.) ‘small town’, ‘Jewish
part of town’
שטעט štet cities’, ‘towns’ > שטעטלס  _štetls_ ~ שטעטלאך _štetlax_ ‘small
towns’, ‘Jewish parts of towns’

Many diminutive derivations are lexicalized, such as שטעטל  _štetl_ denoting
‘Jewish part of town’, ×™×™× ×’×œ _jingl_ ‘boy’ (< *(×™ï¬µ× ×’(×¢ _jung(e)_ ‘boy’) and
מיידל _mejdl_ ‘girl’ (< *מייד *_meyd_).  (j = y)

Adjectives can also undergo diminutive derivation, but, interestingly, it is
Slavonic-derived suffixes (especially _-inke_ < _-inka_) that are used in
these cases (complete with Slavonic-type palatalization of a stem-final stop
where this can apply); e.g., line from two songs:

“!באָבעלע،” זאָגט דער זײדע، “א ×’ï¬µ×˜×©×™× ×§×¢ × ××›×˜"
“bobele,” zogt der zeide, “a gutšinke naxt!”
(“Granny,” says the grandfather, “a good[-dim.] night!”)
“Granny,” said Grandpa, “have a lovely night ~ nightie-night!”
[_bobe_ ‘grandmother’, derived from Slavonic _baba_, takes a Germanic
diminutive suffix!]
[_gut_ ‘good’ is Germanic but takes a Slavonic diminutive suffix!]

!×§×™× ×“×¢×¨×œ××š ×©×²× ×™× ×§×¢! ×§×™× ×“×¢×¨×œ××š ×¤×²× ×™× ×§×¢
kinderlax Å¡ejninke! kinderlax fajninke!
(Children[-dim.] beautiful[-dim.]! Children[-dim.] fine[-dim.]!)
Beautiful children! Lovely children!
[Adjectives may follow nouns for emphasis, as in Slavonic languages that
have basic adj.+noun structure.] [All roots above are Germanic.]

Diminutive of adjectives are thus treated as non-Germanic.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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