Diminutives other than -it- & -cit(o/a(s))

Question

Hi there, I just watched this video: Learn 4.3 - Diminutives for Tiny, Cute, or Baby Things in which she explains that -IT- should be used for words that end in a, o or consonants other than n or r, whereas -CIT(o/a(s)) is for words that end in n, r, á, ó, e, é, i, í, u or ú. The two seem to complete one another, but we know there exist more -forms- than that.

At 7:32, she mentions the less-used diminutive '-ill(o/a(s))' and in the part after that, she goes on to list '-ico/a(s)', -ín & -ina (which I assume is simply the feminine version of ín). She doesn't give rules on when to use these or any examples. (apart from a few words that evolved from another + ill: manteca->mantequilla, mano->manecilla, bolso->bolsillo.. looking at maneCillA, I'd say there are still some secrets to be revealed..)

I'd love to know how exactly to use them, and if there are more. Could someone elaborate, please?

End of your first paragraph correction: ...we know there exist more "forms" than that. I would never use "shapes" in this context. Good post! - Jubilado, Nov 24, 2014

Ahh, it was 'forms' after all! I had wanted to write that, but then the image of 'forms' as pieces of paper with tables on them where you have to fill in your personal information and such popped in my head and I thought I'd just been trying to translate - Suzanne_Romijnders, Nov 24, 2014

the Dutch 'vorm', which I'd use if I'd have had to write my post in my native language too literally.. Eureka and hazaa and all of that. X) Thanks for the correction. :) - Suzanne_Romijnders, Nov 24, 2014

Answer 1

Difficult and some of it obeys to regionalism.

But becareful with some of the ones you mention.

For example:

Bolso = bag

Bolsillo = little bag (for some, context dependant) or pocket

So, according to what you know now, so far, what would be the diminutives of those two?

Edit:

Bolso -> bolsito/bolsillo

Bolsillo -> bolsillito

Does that make sense to you?

I know, that's what I meant when I said they 'evolved' from other words + 'ill', thatthey gained another meaning. - Suzanne_Romijnders, Nov 24, 2014

Don´t forget "Bolsito", that means small "bolso" - txustaboy, Nov 24, 2014

txustaboy, that's what I was trying to see if Suzanne could discern. - chileno, Nov 24, 2014

but she didn't acknowledge it... ;) - chileno, Nov 24, 2014

Ohh, I'm sorry, I misunderstood your intention. No, I don't know yet about different diminutives causing different interpretations, though I know of the existance of both amorcito & amorcín. Would you like to elaborate? - Suzanne_Romijnders, Nov 24, 2014

simple, I asked you for the diminituves of bolsillo and bolso. :) - chileno, Nov 24, 2014

I mentioned 'bolsillo' in the original post as an example of a word that evolved from another + 'ill'... so as far as I know now, bolso can take either ill or it, possibly depending on region of origin of the user.. - Suzanne_Romijnders, Nov 25, 2014

Good and the other? - chileno, Nov 25, 2014

There's a third? .... Bolcito is not a thing, is it..?? o.O; - Suzanne_Romijnders, Nov 30, 2014

Read my edit, please - chileno, Dec 1, 2014

Answer 2

It depends of the area, for example in Spain:

General - ito or -illo ->

Aragón -ico

Extremadura -ino

And probably there are other variants that now I can´t remenber (A). This is only talking about Spain, probably in the other Spanish speaker countries there are other variants too.

On the other hand, there are hundreds of words that change their meanings from normal form to diminutive or augmentative form, for example :

Mejilla - Mejillon (Cheek - Mussel)

So -on is another diminutive.. Thnx for the regional differences info. :) - Suzanne_Romijnders, Nov 24, 2014

I know this sounds crazy but I really like hearing "Hey, Mikey!" in a New York accent, but don't like it in any other American accent. - Jubilado, Nov 24, 2014

Sorry if I explained incorrectly: -on is an augmentative. - txustaboy, Nov 25, 2014

Ohh I see :) Thnx for clearing that up.. Strange how they got mussel from cheek... - Suzanne_Romijnders, Nov 30, 2014