[Lexicog] Pejorative suffixes

[Fritz Goerling]

Muhammad and Hayim,

I'd be interested in knowing how "little dog" in some dialects of Arabic and
in Hebrew respectively can become
a term of endearment when used with reference to a person.* To what trait of
a person's character does it
refer to? Faithfulness? In Southern German (Bavarian) one can use "Hund"
(dog) as a complimentary
term for very smart man. The diminutive "Hundling" becomes pejorative ( a
person who acts in an
underhanded way).

Fritz  Goerling

*Or does that only apply to certain dialects of Arabic?



  Dear Alkumu:si,



  It is very true for Arabic, and in many cases for Hebrew. What is in
Arabic kulayb "little dog" is "klavlav" in Hebrew.

  But if we speak about Semitic languages, the suffixes there have more
general meaning, the most common long -i

  as suffix for formation of relative adjective -hindi:, (Indian),
andalu:si: - Andalucian, kurdi: - Kurdish, Gurdji: - Georgian,

  Farandji: - European; Inglezi - English; rusi - Russian, farsi - Persian,
arabi - Arabic and Arabian, yahu:di: - Jewish; nasrani - Christian (because
Jesus was Nazareth)



  Another way to form the adjective in Arabic is to use the participle form,
like Muslim (one who belongs to Islamic religion; lit. one who submitted
himself to God)

  One more way is to form an adjective: (A) - (I:) pattern (kabi:r - big,
great), rahi:m (merciful); kari:m (noble); sagi:r (small, young).

  There is a parallel for rahi:m - rahma:n (it occurs already in the first
sura of Koran), so -a:n is another suffix.

  I would say that use suffixes for formation of pejorative or endearing
meanings in unproductive in Semitic languages. Those are expressed by
different means.



  Pax vobiscum (ma`a as-sala:mi),

  Hayim




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  From: mohd hans [mailto:muhammadmh2002 at yahoo.com]
  Sent: Wednesday, March 30, 2005 7:57 AM
  To: lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com
  Subject: RE: [Lexicog] Pejorative suffixes



  Dear Lexicolish,

  I would like to draw your attention to the facts you all know that
semantic changes and shift are language-universalish.  In Arabic deminutives
appear as infixes or in other forms, and they are, like most languages,
productive.   From a diminutive usage either an
  > endearing or a pejorative term can develop, depending on the context or
that particular use in some situations.Thus, /kalb/ "a dog" is used as a
name of a person "kulayb". In some dialects of Arabic this name can be
looked as a pejorative term whereas in other dialects it's a term of
endearment.

  Thank you for your contributions

  Muhammad
  >



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