55.1. Diminutive
| sqáx̣aʔ | ‘dog’ | sqaʔqáʔx̣aʔ | ‘little dog, puppy’ |
| músməs | ‘cow’ | maʔmúʔsməs | ‘little cow, calf’ |
| píšpš | ‘cat’ | paʔpéʔšpš | ‘little cat, kitten’ |
| snə́xʷɬ | ‘canoe’ | snaʔnáʔxʷɬ | ‘little canoe’ |
| štə́ŋ | ‘walk’ | šaʔštə́ŋ̓ | ‘walk a little’ |
| x̣ʷə́ŋ | ‘fast’ | x̣ʷaʔx̣ʷə́ŋ̓ | ‘a little fast’ |
► 1 Many languages have special forms of words that are used to refer to something smaller, cuter, or more childlike than usual. English has something like this in the ‑y suffix that converts, for example, ‘dog’ into ‘doggy.’ We can say that ‘doggy’ is the diminutive form of ‘dog.’ In Klallam diminutive forms of words are much more common and useful than they are in English.
► 2 As it happens, diminutives are also particularly easy in Klallam. Before reading further, study the models to see if you can figure out the rule for making diminutives.
► 3 Recall that some Klallam plurals use reduplication with the CC pattern, copying the first two consonants of the root. Others have a pattern that copies only the first consonant and includes i or í. (Review §33.3 and §33.4 now if you do not recall this.)
► 4 The reduplication pattern for diminutives is different from the patterns for plurals. Diminutives have a Caʔ pattern. That is, to make a diminutive, copy the first consonant and prefix it followed by aʔ to the root.
► 5 Reduplication is not the only thing going on in the models. The diminutive in Klallam is marked by reduplication plus an infix. You first encountered infixes in Klallam in the common forms of the plural (§33.1, §33.2). The infix associated with the diminutive is ‑ʔ‑.
► 6 The infix is easy to see in the first two models. Can you figure out the rule for placing the infix?
► 7 The Klallam diminutive combines Caʔ reduplication with ‑ʔ‑ infixed after the first vowel of the root.
► 8 For some speakers, the infixed ʔ drops out in rapid speech.
► 9 Notice that the stressed vowels in the diminutives of ‘cat’ and ‘canoe’ also change. In ‘cat’ the í becomes é, and in ‘canoe’ the ə́ becomes á. This is a regular pattern of Klallam sounds. Always when a stressed í is followed by ʔ, it becomes é. Similarly, when a stressed ə́ is followed by ʔ, it becomes á.
► 10 You’ve probably noticed already that the last two models do not seem to have the ‑ʔ‑ infix. Actually, they do. When the consonant following the stressed vowel is m, n, l, y, or w at the end of a word or before another consonant, the glottal stop combines with it to produce a glottalized version: m̓, n̓, l̓, y̓, or w̓.
► 11 The last two models show that the diminutive in Klallam is not limited to nouns. Verbs and adjectives can also take this diminutive pattern.
► 12 The meaning of the diminutive of verbs differs slightly from its meaning with nouns. The diminutive of a verb can mean to do the activity a little or it could mean a small person or thing is doing the activity. So, for example, šaʔštə́ŋ̓ could be used to mean ‘walk a little’ or ‘a little person (or animal) walks.’
► 13 The meaning of the diminutive of adjectives also differs a little from its meaning with nouns. The diminutive of an adjective can refer to a little of the quality or a little person or thing with the quality. So, for example, x̣ʷaʔx̣ʷə́ŋ̓ could be used to mean ‘a little fast’ or ‘a fast little person (or anything).’
► 14 This diminutive pattern is very regular, but five words are known to have irregular diminutive forms. Here they are:
húʔpt ‘deer’ húhaʔpt ‘little deer’
smə́yəc ‘elk’ smáʔyəʔəc ‘little elk’
síyaʔ ‘grandparent’ sséʔyaʔ ‘grandma’
stúʔwiʔ ‘river’ stútaʔwiʔ ‘creek’
x̣ə́w̓əs ‘new’ x̣éʔəw̓əs ‘a little new’
► 15 The diminutive pattern is so regular that, for some elders, even most of these have acceptable regular forms:
húʔpt ‘deer’ haʔhúʔpt ‘little deer’
smə́yəc ‘elk’ smaʔmáʔyəc ‘little elk’
stúʔwiʔ ‘river’ staʔtúʔwiʔ ‘creek’
x̣ə́w̓əs ‘new’ x̣aʔx̣aʔw̓əs ‘a little new’
► 16 The diminutives of the words for ‘deer’ and ‘elk’ are most commonly used to refer to a little piece of deer meat or elk meat.
► 17 The only way to express the idea of ‘little grandfather’ or ‘little grandmother’ is with something like ƛ̓aʔƛ̓úƛ̓aʔ síyaʔ or ƛ̓aʔƛ̓úƛ̓aʔ sséʔyaʔ. The form sséʔyaʔ usually means ‘grandma,’ but it could also mean ‘grandpa.’
► 18 There are a few other words that seem to be permanent diminutives. For example, k̓ʷaʔk̓ʷáʔt̓ən̓ ‘mouse’ is the diminutive of k̓ʷát̓ən ‘rat.’ qaʔqiʔcə́y̓ ‘rabbit’ is the diminutive of qiʔcíy̓ ‘rabbit’, but most elders feel that the nondiminutive form is strange. The only way to express ‘little rabbit’ is with something like ƛ̓aʔƛ̓úƛ̓aʔ qaʔqiʔcə́y̓. By the way, English has something similar. ‘Doggy’ is the diminutive of ‘dog,’ but what is ‘bunny’ the diminutive of?
 | mán̓ ʔuʔ ʔaʔáʔiɬ cə ʔən̓sqaʔqáʔx̣aʔ. |
 | ƛ̓aƛ̓úƛ̓aʔ ʔiʔ ʔuʔkʷɬčə́q. |
| k̓ʷín ʔuč sčiʔánəŋs. |
| ʔúpən ʔiʔ t̓x̣ə́ŋ. |