Die Augmentative im Niedersorbischen

Abstract

The Augmentative in Lower Sorbian

The present article deals with the morphosemantic and morphonetic features of Lower Sorbian augmentatives. An augmentative is a noun formed by a specific root word and a formant, expressing an exaggeration of the referent’s dimensions or qualities. The Lower Sorbian augmentative formants are: -išćo (-yšćo), -isko (-ysko) and -idło (-ydło). The formant -isko is the most common one, mostly, but not exclusively, creating augmentatives with negative semantics. The formant -išćo, though being far more polysemic, is less frequent than -isko. It often forms augmentatives from root words with the meaning of ‘PERSON’ or ‘ANIMAL’. Although its derivatives usually have a negative and even insulting meaning, their semantics can be positive and even hypocoristic, too. Therefore the context, in which derivates are used, needs close examination, in order to identify their actual meaning, and thereby enable them to be classified with certainty as augmentatives. Genuine augmentatives with the formant -idło are very unusual.