DIMINUTIVE AND AUGMENTATIVE USES IN THE SPANISH LANGUAGE
DIMINUTIVE AND AUGMENTATIVE USES IN THE SPANISH LANGUAGE

Summary/Abstract: The category of the diminutive has a widespread use in the Spanish language, given the need to express conceptual notions such as smallness, familiarity, affection or even disdain. Diminutive suffixes such as –ito, -illo, -cito, -cillo, -ecito, -ecillo help convey many different nuances, degrees, or they can even have a different signified, depending on the context. This article is attempting to reveal the various uses of the Spanish augmentative suffixes (such as –on/a, -ote/a, –azo/a) and their semantic functions, their morphological value, in contrast with the first category. This parallel analysis of the two morphological categories will try to denote the richness, expressivity and colorfulness of the Spanish language.

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