Knowledge base · Part VI — Word Classes and Nominal Morphology · this topic as a network
38. Derivational Morphology on Nouns: Diminutive, Augmentative, and Size Modification
What morphological and syntactic devices does Hokkaido Ainu use to express diminutive, augmentative, and size modification on nouns?
Hokkaido Ainu employs a range of noun prefixes and suffixes to modify or extend nominal meaning. Certain nouns express the feminine by prefixing mat-, as in ainu 'man' versus matainu 'woman', karku 'nephew' versus matkarku 'niece', ak 'younger brother' versus matak 'younger sister', and hekachi 'boy' versus matkachi 'girl' (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936). In personal names and names of deities, -kur serves as a male marker and -mat as a female marker (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936). Noun prefixes are predominantly directional, forming pairs such as e-/o- and he-/ho- to denote direction towards and direction away from something (Refsing 1986: 159); Refsing analyzes he- 'towards' and ho- 'away from' as noun prefixes in Shizunai Ainu (Refsing 1986: 29). The prefix si- attaches to nouns as well as stative verbs with the meaning 'genuine' or 'original' (Refsing 1986: 159); Kindaichi and Chiri similarly record shi- as meaning 'real/true' or 'great' and as marking the reflexive (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936). The prefix ar- conveys 'one' or 'half/one of a pair' (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936), and also 'opposite' or, as an intensive, 'completely' (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936); Satō additionally notes that ar- can mean 'one side of a pair' or 'one out of multiple items' (Satō 2008: 289). The prefixes ear- and oar- correspond to ar- in its senses of 'one', 'half', and intensive 'completely' (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936). The prefix am- attaches to words denoting planar objects to add the nuance of 'broad' or 'spacious' (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936). The prefix ir- expresses continuity, simultaneous unison, or being in a row (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936). The prefix kan- denotes 'upper part' or 'surface' (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936). The prefix no- serves as a eulogistic or honorific prefix (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936). The prefix pi- expresses 'minute' or 'tiny/slight' (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936). The prefix ru- denotes 'half' or 'incomplete' (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936). The prefix san- denotes projecting parts or things that stick out (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936). The prefix sem- functions as a privative prefix (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936) and is also used pejoratively or as an expletive to express emotion (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936). The suffix -ke can attach to words other than locative nouns, converting nouns of abstract meaning into expressions referring to concrete entities (Nakagawa 2024: 248). Under a narrow definition excluding verb formatives and postpositions, Shizunai Ainu has three noun suffixes: -ke, -po, and -utar (Refsing 1986: 77, 159). The Hokkaido Ainu noun húnpe 'whale' is analyzed as an innovation consisting of the onomatopoeia hún and pe 'thing' (Vovin 2022: 6.1).
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The diminutive suffix -po and the absence of an augmentative
What derivational suffix marks diminutive meaning on nouns in Hokkaido Ainu, and is there a corresponding augmentative suffix?
The diminutive suffix -po attaches to nouns to derive nouns meaning 'small X', as in cep-po / cheppo (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936, Satō 2008: 266). The suffix -po also functions as an affectionate or familiar suffix in kinship terms, forming achipo 'father/dad', hapo 'mother/mom', yupo 'older brother', and kakapo 'older sister' (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936).
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Morphology
How does the diminutive suffix attach morphologically to Hokkaido Ainu noun stems, and what form class does the derivative belong to?
Under a narrow definition excluding verb formatives and postpositions, Shizunai Ainu has three noun suffixes: -ke, -po, and -utar, all serving to extend or modify the meaning of the host noun (Refsing 1986: 77, 159). The suffix -ke can attach to words other than locative nouns, functioning to convert nouns of abstract meaning into expressions referring to concrete entities (Nakagawa 2024: 248). The prefix am- attaches to words denoting planar objects to add the nuance of 'broad' or 'spacious' (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936). The prefix ar- can mean 'one' or 'half/one of a pair' (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936), and also 'opposite' or, as an intensive, 'completely' (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936); the prefixes ear- and oar- correspond to ar- in these same senses (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936). The prefix ir- expresses continuity, simultaneous unison, or being in a row (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936). The prefix kan- denotes 'upper part' or 'surface' (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936). The prefix no- serves as a eulogistic or honorific prefix (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936). The prefix pi- expresses 'minute' or 'tiny/slight' (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936). The prefix ru- denotes 'half' or 'incomplete' (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936). The prefix san- denotes projecting parts or things that stick out (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936). The prefix sem- functions as a privative prefix (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936) and is also used pejoratively or as an expletive to express emotion (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936). The prefix shi- can mean 'real/true' or 'great', and also marks the reflexive (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936).
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Corpus examples
In what syntactic contexts does the Hokkaido Ainu diminutive suffix appear, and can it co-occur with other modifiers?
Lexicalization in animal names: isepo and the class-term question
How does the diminutive suffix appear as a fossilized element in Hokkaido Ainu animal names?
The diminutive suffix -po appears as a fossilized element within certain nouns; the noun menopoko 'girl' is analyzed as consisting of menoko 'woman' with the diminutive suffix -po inserted (Satō 2008).
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The okkaypo ambiguity: suffix versus noun po 'child'
How does Hokkaido Ainu resolve the ambiguity between the diminutive suffix and the homophonous noun meaning 'child' in forms like okkaypo?
The diminutive suffix -po is derived from the independent noun po 'child/son' in Shizunai Ainu (Refsing 1986: 159).
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Horobetsu: -po on an intimate as 'deceased'
In the Horobetsu dialect of Hokkaido Ainu, what special meaning does the diminutive suffix take when attached to terms for intimates?
The suffix -po originated as a diminutive meaning 'child', used for 'small thing' or 'cute thing' (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936). The form ak-po is permitted only in epic poetry, whereas in colloquial Horobetsu speech attaching -po to terms for loved ones conveys the meaning 'deceased' (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936).
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Size modification without suffixation: prenominal pon and poro
What prenominal property verbs does Hokkaido Ainu use to express 'small' and 'big' without derivational suffixation?
The element mo 'small' occurs in the meaning 'small' only as a constituent in a limited set of words, such as mo-rew 'small curve' (Nakagawa 2024: 492).
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