Diminutive (promotion type)

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Diminutive , (also deminutive , diminutive - from Latin : deminuere: "reduce, diminish"), sometimes also called attenuative , denotes the type of action of a verb that expresses a lower intensity of an action.

Examples in German:

  • cough ('cough a little')
  • smile ('laugh softly')

In German, diminutive verbs are usually derived from the original verb with -eln or -ern , as are frequentative or iterative verbs .

The attenuative type of action is limited in the Russian language to the perfect aspect , e.g. B. пообсохнуть [poobsoxnut '] "dry slowly, gradually".

source

  • Helmut Glück : Metzler Lexicon Language . Verlag JB Metzler, Stuttgart, Weimar, 1993.