Diminutivesin English and Hadhrami Arabic

Abstract

This study aims at investigating diminutive forms in both English and Hadhrami Arabic through showing the ways
these diminutives are formed morphologically; the parts of speech they incorporate and through shedding lights on
the use of these forms and the meanings, they impart in Both English and Hadhrami Arabic. The study shows that
whereas diminutives in English are formed analytically (through the addition of an analytic marker preceding the
noun) and synthetically (through the addition of a derivational affix), diminutives in Hadhrami Arabic are formed
nonconcatinatively through the modification of the vowels of the root in accordance with certain patterns. It also
shows that only nouns and in a few cases certain adjectives in English are diminuted. However, it has been found that
in HA nouns, adjectives, some verbs, some adverbs of place, demonstrative pronouns and some conjunctions can be
diminuted. Regarding the use of these diminutives, the study shows that they are used to connote either pejorative
meanings or meanings indicating smallness, affection and endearment in both English and Hadhrami Arabic.