“Latin Diminutives”

Third Declension, L-, R-, S-Stems

A primitive with a stem ending with l or s may form a diminutive by adding cul-, cell-, or cill- to its nominative singular form.

• Diminutive melculum (mel-cul-um) from primitive mel (stem mell-)

• Diminutive vāsculum (vās-cul-um) from primitive vās (stem vās-)

A primitive with a stem and a nominative singular form ending with r may form a diminutive by adding cul-, cell-, or cill- to its nominative singular form.

• Diminutive amātorculus (amātor-cul-us) from primitive amātor (stem amātor-)

• Diminutive uxorcula (uxor-cul-a) from primitive uxor (stem uxor-)

A primitive with a stem ending with r, and a nominative singular form ending with s, may form a diminutive by adding cul-, cell-, or cill- to its nominative singular form.

• Diminutive flōsculus (flōs-cul-us) from primitive flōs (stem flōr-)

• Diminutive corpusculum (corpus-cul-um) from primitive corpus (stem corpor-)

A primitive with a stem and nominative singular form ending with r, and with a real or imagined older stem ending with s, may form a diminutive by changing the last two letters of its stem to -us, and then adding cul-, cell-, or cill- to the modified stem.

• Diminutive arbuscula (arbus-cul-a) from primitive arbor (stem arbor-)

• Diminutive iecusculum (iecus-cul-um) from primitive iecur (stem iecor-)

A primitive that is a comparative form of an adjective may form a diminutive by adding cul-, cell-, or cill- to the neuter nominative singular form of the comparative.

• Diminutive meliusculus (melius-cul-us) from primitive melior (stem melior-)

• Diminutive maiusculus (maius-cul-us) from primitive maior (stem maior-)

1. Diminutives and Diminutive Bases
2. General Rules for Diminutives in Latin
3. Procedures for Forming Diminutives
   1. First Declension
   2. Second Declension
   3. Third Declension, I- and Ī-Stems
   4. Third Declension, Mute Consonant Stems
   5. Third Declension, L-, R-, S-Stems
   6. Third Declension, N-Stems
   7. Third Declension, OU-Stems
   8. Third Declension, Ū-Stems
   9. Third-Declension, Any Stem
   10. Third Declension, Irregular Diminutives
   11. Fourth Declension
   12. Fifth Declension
   13. Fifth Declension, Irregular Diminutives
   14. Substituting Diminutive Bases
   15. Diminutives Bases Side by Side
4. Multiple Possible Diminutive Forms
5. Bibliography

Nômina Dêminûtîva Latîna | Pāginae Latīnitātis | DIĒS GAUDIĪ

© 2007 Ian Andreas Miller.  All rights reserved.  Those statements refer to all of the original content on this page.