Diminutive (promotion type)
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.