Semantics and pragmatics of diminutive suffixes in Russian

The distinctive feature of semantics of diminutive suffixes in Russian is their polysemy.Joining a generating basis, they can give a wide spectrum of meanings to a derivative noun. The diminutive suffix has binuclearstructure: in its semantics there are two interconnected components - semantic and pragmatic. Diminutive meaning, which is geneticallyprimary, is the most frequent. The pragmatic direction of actualization of suffix semantics is aimed at expression of emotions caused bycertain properties of a subject. The meaning formation of diminutive derivatives is influenced first of all by conditions of the intra-wordcontext. The meaning of a derivative word is realized depending on a combination of the suffix and generating semantics. At the sametime forms with diminutive suffixes depend on the general sense of the statement, due to which on the sense of a text, and also oncommunication condition. The article presented is devoted to the revealing of a range of a semantic-pragmatic variation of diminutivesuffixes in Russian. The problem is the research of dependence of the diminutive derivatives semantics on conditions of the intra-wordcontext, revealing of means of expression of emotional senses. In the structure there are two groups of diminutives. The first groupincludes diminutives, for which "the aligned meaning" of either diminutive or with emotional components of a positive or negativespectrum is peculiar. Another group is presented by diminutives, for which opposite meanings are peculiar: both with positive, and witha negative component, without a uniform centre of semantics. As the suffix is a connected unit, the meaning of diminutive suffixes isrealized depending on their combination with certain types of generating bases. The majority of diminutive suffixes may join generatingbases of different type that causes an orientation of a semantic and functional variation of a suffix. Diminutive suffixes are characterizedby distinction in ability to be combined with different types of generating bases and originality of a complex of exact expressedmeanings. Many productive suffixes join generating bases with concrete-subject meaning. In this case diminutive derivatives havediminutive, diminutive-hypocoristic, caressing meaning. Some suffixes can give diminutively-pejorative, pejorative, and diminutivehypocoristicmeaning. In the conclusion the variety of meanings of concrete diminutive suffixes, their semantic-pragmatic variation incombination with generating bases of concrete-subject meaning belonging to different lexico-semantic groups are revealed. Thus, theinfluence of conditions of internal and external context on the meaning realization is observed.

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