Latin diminutive

The Latin language has a robust diminutive-forming system. There are many diminutive suffixes: those in calculus, axilla, fistula, and areola to start. There is often more than one correct way to form a diminutive, and many more incorrect ones.

Gender

The masculine, feminine, and neuter diminutives often end in -us, -a, and -um.

• later, -is (m.) > later-cul-us (m.)
• mulier, -is (f.) > mulier-cul-a (f.)
• tÅ«ber, -is (n.) > tÅ«ber-cul-um (n.)

There are exceptions. These masculine words end in -a:

• scurr-a (m.) > scurr-ul-a (m.)
• vern-a (m.) > vern-ul-a (m.)

Many have a vowel, followed by one or two ls, followed by the endings just mentioned. Here we see stem + 'ul' + ending.

The rules can be a bit involved. The diminutive depends on the gender, declination (first, second, etc.) and the root's ending.

First and second declension

Conspectus parvus

Regula Generalis

In general the diminutive of nouns of the first or second declension which end in obstruents or the semivowel /w/ (written <v>) take the suffix -ulus/-ula/-ulum (depending on grammatical gender).

Stems ending in Vowels

Nouns of the first or second declension whose stems end in a vowel typically take -ola, -olus, or -olum depending on if they are of the feminine, masculine, or neuter gender respectively. Words ending in the glide /w/ (written v), take -ul- like other stems ending in consonants (cf. cerva/cervula).

In the first declination, -ia can become =illa or =ola. (Lucia → Lucilla, sed Tullia → Tulliola).

Roots with -ul-

Nouns whose stems end in -ul- (either the root itself, or due to the noun in question being a diminutive already), when their diminutive is formed, the stem-final, -ul- changes either to -ell- or -ill-. It is difficult to find any regular correspondence between the context surrounding -ul- and whether the diminutive's stem ends in -ell- or -ill-.

In the table below, those which are diminutives already have the original stem listed under "principle". In cases where the diminutive's meaning is very different from that of the original noun, the noun in question is enclosed with parentheses.

The double diminutives of words ending in -er, or -in-, are usually formed by adding -ul- to the end of the existing diminutive..

Roots with -r-

Roots with -n-

Roots with -xill-

Exceptions

Third declension

in -es, -is & -e

More nouns, third declination

Nouns in -ēs, -is

Nouns in -is, -is (m./f.) or -ĕ, -is (n.)

Roots with -c- & -g-

Roots with -t- and -d-

Roots with -p- et -b-

Roots with -n-

Roots with -r(r)- et -l(l)-et -s-

Roots with -r- and -s-

Roots with -u- et -v-

Stems ending in two or more consonants

Fourth declination

Fifth declination

In the fifth declension, Latin nouns generally take -cula.

References