augmentatiivne

Augmentatiivne, or augmentative, is a linguistic term for forms that express increased size, intensity, or importance of a base word. It is used across languages to derive new words or to convey stronger meanings, often through affixes, but sometimes via clitics or periphrastic constructions. In Estonian linguistic usage, augmentatiivne describes such forms when they function to enlarge or intensify the referenced entity.

Morphology and typology

Augmentatives are typically realized through derivational means. In many Romance languages, suffixes such as -one or -ona in Italian, and -ão or -ona in Portuguese, produce nouns or adjectives with a sense of greater size or significance. Filipino, Slavic languages, and others also employ dedicated morphological strategies or lexicalized augmentatives. Some languages use prefixes, infixes, or alternations in the base word to achieve a similar effect. Diminutives often accompany augmentatives as a contrasting degree of size, giving speakers a scalable set of forms.

Semantics and pragmatics

Beyond literal size, augmentatives frequently convey intensity, emphasis, affection, or ridicule, depending on context, tone, and social norms. They can indicate familiarity or endearment, or serve as pejorative or humorous embellishments in informal speech. The choice of augmentative form may depend on gender, number, dialect, or register.

Cross-linguistic notes

Augmentatives are a common cross-linguistic phenomenon, illustrating how languages encode degree of size or intensity within the word-building system. They interact with syntax and discourse, and their acceptability and nuance can vary widely between languages and communities.

Etymology

The term derives from Latin augmentativus, meaning increasing or enlarging.