diminutiveとは 意味・読み方・使い方

別の表記

• (noun, grammar): dim. (abbreviation)

語源

Inherited from 中期英語 diminutif, derived from Old French diminutif, derived from Latin dīminutīv|us, ~a, ~um (adjective), from dīminūt|us, ~a, ~um (participle), perfect passive participle of dīmin|uō, ~uere, ~uī, ~ūtum (verb). First attested in 1398.

発音

• enPR: dĭ-mĭn′yə-tĭv
• (Received Pronunciation, General American, Canada, General Australian, Scotland) IPA: /dɪˈmɪn.jə.tɪv/

  (New Zealand) IPA: /dəˈmən.jə.təv/

  (India) IPA: /ɖɪˈmɪn.ju.tɪv/

• 韻: -ɪnjətɪv
• ハイフネーション: di‧min‧u‧tive

形容詞

diminutive (comparative more diminutive, superlative most diminutive)

1. Very small.

   Synonyms: lilliputian, tiny

   Antonyms: huge, gigantic

   • 1997, Thomas Pynchon, Mason & Dixon, New York: Henry Holt and Company, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 229:

     Mrs. Washington ("Oh, la, call me Martha, Boys") is a diminutive woman with a cheerful rather than happy air, who seems to bustle even when standing still..

   • 2011 October 20, Jamie Lillywhite, “Tottenham 1 - 0 Rubin Kazan”, in BBC Sport‎:

     Roman Sharonov rose unchallenged to head a corner wide, while diminutive winger Gokdeniz Karadeniz ghosted in with a diving header from the edge of the six-yard box that was acrobatically kept out by Gomes.

2. (obsolete) Serving to diminish.
   • 1711, Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury, Characteristicks of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times, 1714 edition republished by Gregg International Publishers, 1968, Volume 3, Miscellany 3, Chapter 2, p. 175,

     They cou’d, perhaps, even embrace POVERTY contentedly, rather than submit to any thing diminutive either of their inward Freedom or national Liberty.

3. (grammar) Of or pertaining to, or creating a word form expressing smallness, youth, unimportance, or endearment.

   Antonym: augmentative

派生語

名詞

diminutive (plural diminutives)

1. (grammar) A word form expressing smallness, youth, unimportance, or endearment.

   Synonym: nomen deminutivum

   Antonym: augmentative

   Booklet, the diminutive of book, means ‘small book’.

   • 1908, G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy:

     But I was frightfully fond of the universe and wanted to address it by a diminutive. I often did so; and it never seemed to mind.

   • 1916, Ernest Weekley, Surnames, page 287:

     When we come to occupative names, we are again confronted by crowds of diminutives.

   • 2024 June 20, Eva Corlett, “Fidlets, fingies and riding a doo: study sheds light on Antarctic English slang”, in The Guardian‎:

     The British use the term “fidlets”, a diminutive of “Fid”, which in turn is an acronym for Falkland Island Dependencies, the former name of the British Antarctic Survey.

関連する語

参考

• hypocorism
• pet form; pet name
• dimwit
• Category:English diminutive nouns, proper nouns, interjections, and suffixes
• Category:English endearing and childish terms

参照

Further reading

• “diminutive”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.