The words augmentative and diminutive allow some expressions give certain nuances and emotional characteristics. They are not just used to exaggerate or diminish the size of a thing, either in the literal sense or in a figurative way.
All words have a root or lexeme that defines them and that contains the greatest semantic load.
The diminutives and augmentatives work through a suffix that modifies that root of a noun.
The main advantage of constructing structures using suffixes, as with augmentatives and diminutives, is that they allow the elaboration of new words without having a previous referent.
Through various suffixes, any noun can be exaggerated or diminished in different ways, without the need for them to be found in a dictionary.
Diminutives
The function of diminutives is to reduce the size, physical or figurative, of something. They are also used to minimize their importance.
It can also have an affective intention, since the issuer can use them to give you familiarity or affection.
It should be noted that diminutives on certain occasions can be used in a derogatory or pejorative way. Like, "Are you going to go out with that little man again?"
On the other hand, there are words in diminutive that have lost that connotation; they have been lexicalized and retain their shape without altering their meaning.
An example of this are the words crochet or handkerchief, words that lost the minimizing function that they originally had.
Although diminutives of almost any noun can be formed, their use is sometimes not recommended unless for emphatic or parodic reasons.
It is not recommended to form diminutives for phonetic reasons, as in the case of nouns ending in -ao and -s.
Neither are abstract nouns or action nouns recommended, nor are nouns that refer to languages, parties, places and cardinal points.
The diminutives are formed through suffixes. The main suffixes are: -ito, -ita, -ecito, -ecita, -illo, -illa, -ecillo, -ecilla, -ico, -ica, -ete, -eta, -ín, ina, -ejo, - eja, -uelo, -uela, -ucho, -ucha. The use of each of these elements varies depending on each country.
Top 10 examples of diminutive words
Sweetie.
Problemilla.
Poor thing.
Kitty.
Buddy.
Saddle.
Tipejo.
Chicuelo.
Skinny.
Little train.
Augmentatives
Contrary to the previous ones, augmentatives have the function of exaggerating or maximizing a noun. This exaggeration may be due to its size, its intensity or its importance.
It is also usual for augmentatives to refer to something of great quality or importance, such as saying "a great game is played" or "that's a movie."
The use of augmentatives is not recommended in formal settings, as they are typical of colloquial speech.
As in the previous case, there are words that lost their original augmentative intention and became lexicalized, such as a blackboard or an armchair.
Like diminutives, augmentatives are formed by suffixes and their use varies depending on the region. The suffixes used are: –azo, –aza, –on, –ona, -ote, –ota, -acho, -acha, -ton, -tona, -rrón, -rrona.
Top 10 examples of augmentative words
Stroke of the pen.
Paw.
Paton.
Big.
Crony.
Curse.
Cigarrón.
Vivaracha.
Cloud.
Goofy.