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8 Diminutives and number: Theoretical predictions and empirical evidence from German in Austria

  • Katharina Korecky-Kröll
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Diminutives across Languages, Theoretical Frameworks and Linguistic Domains
Ein Kapitel aus dem Buch Diminutives across Languages, Theoretical Frameworks and Linguistic Domains

Abstract

Relations between diminutive and number have been discussed within several linguistic frameworks. Like historical approaches, Natural Morphology stresses the similarities between diminutives and hypocoristics of proper names, while usage-based approaches also consider -i derivatives as part of the same schema. Additionally, Natural Morphology interprets non-canonical suffix ordering as evidence for the non-prototypicality of plural inflection and diminutive formation. Syntax-based approaches focus on countability, highlighting that diminutive suffixes may transfer mass nouns into count nouns. This aspect is, however, considered less relevant by Cognitive Semantics. In this article, frequencies of diminutives vs. simplex nouns in singular vs. plural contexts are investigated in five naturalistic corpora of German in Austria. Diminutives turn out to occur more frequently in the singular than in the plural compared to simplex nouns. If hypocoristics (but not -i derivatives) are included, this effect increases, whereas countability plays a minor role and only marginal evidence is found for non-canonical suffix ordering. Thus, high frequencies of hypocoristics contribute the most to this “diminutive singular” effect. Although all approaches make valuable contributions to the discussion of the relation between diminutive and number, the impact of hypocoristics on the use of diminutive singular forms may best be interpreted within a usage-based approach.

Abstract

Relations between diminutive and number have been discussed within several linguistic frameworks. Like historical approaches, Natural Morphology stresses the similarities between diminutives and hypocoristics of proper names, while usage-based approaches also consider -i derivatives as part of the same schema. Additionally, Natural Morphology interprets non-canonical suffix ordering as evidence for the non-prototypicality of plural inflection and diminutive formation. Syntax-based approaches focus on countability, highlighting that diminutive suffixes may transfer mass nouns into count nouns. This aspect is, however, considered less relevant by Cognitive Semantics. In this article, frequencies of diminutives vs. simplex nouns in singular vs. plural contexts are investigated in five naturalistic corpora of German in Austria. Diminutives turn out to occur more frequently in the singular than in the plural compared to simplex nouns. If hypocoristics (but not -i derivatives) are included, this effect increases, whereas countability plays a minor role and only marginal evidence is found for non-canonical suffix ordering. Thus, high frequencies of hypocoristics contribute the most to this “diminutive singular” effect. Although all approaches make valuable contributions to the discussion of the relation between diminutive and number, the impact of hypocoristics on the use of diminutive singular forms may best be interpreted within a usage-based approach.

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. 1 Introduction: Diminutives across languages, theoretical frameworks and linguistic domains 1
  4. Part I: Theoretical approaches to diminutive formation
  5. 2 On a low and a high position for diminutive non-manual markers in Italian Sign Language 37
  6. 3 Diminutive or singulative? The suffixes -in and -k in Russian 65
  7. 4 Slavic diminutive morphology: An interplay of scope, templates and paradigms 89
  8. 5 Diminutive formation in Spanish: Evidence for word morphology 115
  9. 6 The syllable as the basis for word formation: Evidence from diminutives, hypocoristics and clippings in English, Dutch, Afrikaans, Swedish and French 131
  10. Part II: Corpus-based and other empirical studies
  11. 7 The Swedish suffix -is and its place within evaluative morphology 153
  12. 8 Diminutives and number: Theoretical predictions and empirical evidence from German in Austria 179
  13. 9 Diminutive verbs in the Austrian language area: Morphological and semantic challenges 205
  14. 10 Challenges in analyzing Polish diminutives 231
  15. 11 Diminutives among other -k(a) words in colloquial Russian: Frequency and suffix variation 253
  16. Part III: Sociolinguistic, pragmatic and acquisitional studies
  17. 12 Borrowed or inspired? Komi diminutive under Russian influence 277
  18. 13 Acquisition of diminutives in Russian and Estonian from a typological perspective 305
  19. 14 Morphological richness and priority of pragmatics over semantics in Italian, Arabic, German and English diminutives 335
  20. 15 Diminutive variation in Austrian Standard German: A corpuslinguistic study 363
  21. 16 Gender discrepancies and evaluative gender shift: A cross-linguistic study within Distributed Morphology 387
  22. Index 415
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110792874-008

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. 1 Introduction: Diminutives across languages, theoretical frameworks and linguistic domains 1
  4. Part I: Theoretical approaches to diminutive formation
  5. 2 On a low and a high position for diminutive non-manual markers in Italian Sign Language 37
  6. 3 Diminutive or singulative? The suffixes -in and -k in Russian 65
  7. 4 Slavic diminutive morphology: An interplay of scope, templates and paradigms 89
  8. 5 Diminutive formation in Spanish: Evidence for word morphology 115
  9. 6 The syllable as the basis for word formation: Evidence from diminutives, hypocoristics and clippings in English, Dutch, Afrikaans, Swedish and French 131
  10. Part II: Corpus-based and other empirical studies
  11. 7 The Swedish suffix -is and its place within evaluative morphology 153
  12. 8 Diminutives and number: Theoretical predictions and empirical evidence from German in Austria 179
  13. 9 Diminutive verbs in the Austrian language area: Morphological and semantic challenges 205
  14. 10 Challenges in analyzing Polish diminutives 231
  15. 11 Diminutives among other -k(a) words in colloquial Russian: Frequency and suffix variation 253
  16. Part III: Sociolinguistic, pragmatic and acquisitional studies
  17. 12 Borrowed or inspired? Komi diminutive under Russian influence 277
  18. 13 Acquisition of diminutives in Russian and Estonian from a typological perspective 305
  19. 14 Morphological richness and priority of pragmatics over semantics in Italian, Arabic, German and English diminutives 335
  20. 15 Diminutive variation in Austrian Standard German: A corpuslinguistic study 363
  21. 16 Gender discrepancies and evaluative gender shift: A cross-linguistic study within Distributed Morphology 387
  22. Index 415
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Heruntergeladen am 20.9.2025 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110792874-008/html
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