diminutive
noun/dɪˈmɪnjətɪv/
/dɪˈmɪnjətɪv/
- a word or an ending of a word that shows that somebody/something is small, for example piglet (= a young pig), kitchenette (= a small kitchen)
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- a short informal form of a word, especially a name
- ‘Nick’ is a common diminutive of ‘Nicholas’.
Word Originlate Middle English (as a grammatical term): from Old French diminutif, -ive, from late Latin diminutivus, from Latin deminut- ‘diminished’, from the verb deminuere, from minuere ‘make small’.
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diminutive