This work – by means of an analysis of the European

Portuguese adjectives formed by the most productive diminutive

suffixes –inho and –zinho in contrast to their equivalents in

Croatian registered in the corpus of translated narrative texts –

tend to be a contribution to the existing research of the highly

polysemous category of diminutive in Portuguese, but also

observe some possible means of expressing the similar

meanings and uses in Croatian. It is precisely on adjectival (and

adverbial) stems that the Portuguese diminutive suffixes exhibit

semantic specificity in comparison to other languages.

Introduction

Barić et als. (1997) Hrvatska gramatika, Školska knjiga, Zagreb.

Dressler, W., Merlini Barbaresi, L. (1994) Morphopragmatics: Diminutives and

intensifiers in Italian, German, and other languages, Mouton de Gruyter,

Berlin.

Jurafsky, D. (1996) “Universal tendencies in the semantics of the diminutive”,

Language 72, 3, 533-578.

Sarić, D. (2006) „Deminutiv u portugalskom“, Strani jezici: časopis za

primijenjenu lingvistiku, Zagreb, 109-116.

Sarić, D., Varga, D. (2013) „Diminutivo em português – menos é mais“, Studia

Romanica et Anglica Zagrabiensia (forthcoming).

Silva, Augusto Soares da (2006) O Mundo dos Sentidos em Português:

Polissemia, Semântica e Cognição, Almedina, Coimbra.

Skorge, S. (1957) „Os sufixos diminutivos em português“, Boletim de Filologia,

Vol. XVI, 222-305, Centro de Estudos Filológicos, Lisboa.

Taylor, J. R. (1995) Linguistic Categorization: Prototypes in linguistic theory,

Oxford University Press, Oxford.

References

Analysis

Narrative texts

Final observations

CROATIAN EQUIVALENTS

OF PORTUGUESE DIMINUTIVE ADJECTIVES Nina Lanović & Daliborka Sarić

University of Zagreb

in not more than 10 % of examples in corpus, Croatian

equivalent to Portuguese diminutive sufixes –inho and -zinho

is also a diminutive suffix, which leads to the conclusion that

diminutive adjective – that is a diminutive suffix on adjectives

– is far more semantically and pragmatically productive

category in Portuguese than in Croatian;

not a single example has been noted in the corpus where a

Croatian diminutive suffix on adjective would be equivalent to

a Portuguese diminutive suffix in function of an intensifier on

the adjective which does not denote ''smallness'' – in such

cases in Croatian another form of modification occurs

(adverbial, prefixal, phraseological, lexical, etc.) or there is no

modification at all – an observation in contribution to thesis

supporting that the function of intensification

(superlativisation) of diminutive suffixes on adjectives which

do not mark a diminished dimension is a potential semantical

specificity of Portuguese language;

when a conotative value/meaning prevails in Portuguese

diminutive or when it has a pragmatical-discursive function,

certain tendency can be noted in Croatian equivalents – the

place of modification (non-suffixal) ''moves'' onto another

word in the sentence or the modification overtakes the whole

of the sentence – confirming the assumption that numerous

and multiple meanings and functions of diminutive suffixes in

Portuguese could in equivalence be expressed in Croatian

only by means of different – non-morphological –

proceedings.

Antunes, A. L. (2007) Auto dos danados, Dom Quixote, Lisboa. / LAp

Antunes, A. L. (2005) Prikazanje opsjednutih, SysPrint, Zagreb; translated by Tanja Tarbuk. / LAh

Cardoso, M. E. (2001) O Amor é fodido, Assírio & Alvim, Lisboa. / MECp

Cardoso, M. E. (2003) Ljubav je sjebana, Konzor, Zagreb; translated by Tanja Tarbuk. / MECh

Ferro, R. (2007) Uma mulher não chora, Dom Quixote, Lisboa. / RFp

Ferro, R. (2003) Žene ne plaču, Znanje, Zagreb; translated by Tanja Tarbuk. / RFh

Pires, J. C. (2002) Balada da praia dos cães, Publicações Dom Quixote, Lisboa. / JCPp

Pires, J. C. (2008) Balada o psećoj plaži, Znanje, Zagreb; translated by Tanja Tarbuk. / JCPh

Queirós, E. de (2004) Relíquia, Livros do Brasil, Lisboa. / EQp

Queirós, E. de (2005) Relikvija, Hrvatsko filološko društvo, Disput, Zagreb; translated by Nikica Talan. /EQh

Saramago, J. (1984) O ano da morte de Ricardo Reis, Caminho, Lisboa / JS1p

Saramago, J. (2002) Godina smrti Ricarda Reisa, V.B.Z., Zagreb; translated by Tanja Tarbuk / JS1h

Saramago, J. (1995) Ensaio sobre a cegueira, Caminho, Lisboa / JS2p

Saramago, J. (1999) Ogled o sljepoći, SysPrint, Zagreb; translated by Nina Lanović / JS2h

Saramago, J. (1998) Todos os nomes, Caminho, Lisboa. / JS3p

Saramago, J. (2002) Sva imena, Otokar Keršovani, Rijeka; translated by Nina Lanović. / JS3h

Saramago, J. (1998) O Evangelho segundo Jesus Cristo, Caminho, Lisboa. / JS4p

Saramago, J. (2002) Evanđelje po Isusu Kristu, V.B.Z., Zagreb; translated by Snježana Mihačić. / JS4h

Table 1 Portuguese diminutive suffix Croatian equivalent: diminutive suffix

[...] chega-se-lhes um fósforo e elas ficam a arder até o azeite se acabar, são umas luzes fraquinhas, mas dá para vermos, [...] (JS2p)

[...] upališ ih šibicom i gore dok ima ulja, svjetlo je slabašno, ali uz njega ipak možemo vidjeti, [...] (JS2h) Attached to adjectives

denoting „smallness“, diminutive suffix intensifies the smallness feature (with or without affective connotations).

Os olhos de Osânias, miudinhos como duas contas de vidro negro, reluziram de agudeza e malícia. (EQp)

Oči Ozanijine, sićušne poput dviju kuglica od crnoga stakla, bljesnuše oštrinom i zlobom. (EQh)

Este personagem, tão novinho, com o seu cabelo aos cachos e o lábio trémulo, é João. (JS4p)

Ovaj tako mlađahni lik, bogatih uvojaka i drhtavih usana, to je Ivan. (JS4h)

A outra, D. Rosa, gordinha e trigueira, tocava harpa, sabia de cor os versos do Amor e Melancolia, [...] (EQp)

Druga, mlađa, Dona Rosa, debeljuškasta i tamnoputa, svirala je harfu, a znala je napamet i stihove iz zbirke Ljubav i sjeta. (EQp)

Attached to adjectives that do not denote „smallness“, intensity of the feature is mitigated (with or without affective connotations).

As pestanas tornam-no bonitinho e por isso as dispensamos. Mas, se tiver olheiras... (RFp)

Trepavice ga čine ljepuškastim, pa zato možemo i bez njih. Ali ako bi imao podočnjake... (RFh)

[...] enquanto o ano novo se aproxima num raio de luz, gordinho como os meninos da farinha lacto-búlgara, [...] (JS1p)

[...] dok se nova godina približava na zraci svjetlosti, debela poput dječice uhranjene bugarskim mliječnim brašnom, (JS1h)

Attached to some other word in the sentence – when the connotative meaning prevails, it functions on discursive level, making the „place“ of modification less important.

Table 2 Portuguese diminutive suffix Croatian equivalent: adverbial modification

[...] oferecia pedaços da túnica da Virgem Maria, cordéis das sandálias de São Pedro; e rosnava com ânsia, roçando-me pelos manteletes e pelas toucas:"Baratinhos, minha senhora, baratinhos... Excelentes para catarros!..." (EQp)

Nuđah im komadiće tunike Djevice Marije ili uzice sa sandala sv. Petra, saplićući bradu o njihove marame i kapice: "Veoma jeftino, gospođo, veoma jeftino... Izvrsno za prehlade!..." (EQh)

Adverbial intensity quantification with the adjectives occurs due to derivational restrictions – weaker productivity of diminutive suffixation on adjectives in Croatian.

- Então estás lavadinha por baixo. (JCPp)

- Onda si znači dobro podmazana dolje? (JCPh)

Sonhar com a infância em aromas, sabonetes lifebuoy chegados de Salisbury e cadernos de escola - novinhos, a cheirarem a papel. (JCPp)

Sanjati mirise iz djetinjstva, sapune lifebuoy iz Salisburya i školske bilježnice, posve nove, one koje mirišu na papir. (JCPh)

[...] mas Ricardo Reis via-o distintamente, nem perto nem longe, um esqueleto a andar, igualzinho àquele em que aprendera na faculdade de Medicina, [...] (JS1p)

[...] no Ricardo Reis ga je jasno vidio, nije bio ni blizu ni daleko, kostur koji hoda, potpuno isti onome na kojemu su učili na Medicinskome fakultetu, [...] (JS1h)

Aqui tenho sortimento fresco, chegadinho de Sião!” (EQp)

Ovdje imam svježu robu koja upravo stiže sa Siona!" (EQh)

Adverbial quantification modifiying another word in the sentence - when semantic equivalence cannot be achieved by adjective.

- Está bom Mariana, obrigadinho; eu verei; vá com Deus... (EQp)

- U redu, Mariano, velika vam hvala, vidjet ću što ću učiniti, idite sada s Bogom... (EQh)

Table 3 Portuguese diminutive suffix Croatian equivalent: prefix

Ai Vicência, que ele vem cheinho de virtude! (EQp)

Ajme Vicêncio, pa on je prepun kreposti! (EQh)

In cases when diminutive

suffixation in Portuguese

functions as intensifier, and

in Croatian diminutive

suffixation on an adjective

with equal meaning is not

semantically equivalent

(there is diminutive of

adjective pun – punašan –

but it indicates the moderated

feature).

Table 4 Portuguese diminutive suffix Croatian equivalent: phraseological modification

Ele e a Titi falavam então de doenças. Padre Casimiro, coradinho, com o guardanapo atado ao pescoço, o prato cheio o copo cheio, sorria beatificamente. (EQp)

Velečasni Casimiro, crven kao rak, s ubrusom privezanim o vrat, s prepunim tanjurom, s prepunom čašom, blaženo se smješkaše. (EQh)

Examples of intensification

in Portuguese which have

some conventional Croatian

phrasemes as an adequate

functional equivalent (there

is for example a diminutive

of adjective crven –

crvenkast, but it indicates the

moderated feature).

E a Titi deite a sua bênção ao seu sobrinho fiel e que muito a venera e está chupadinho de saudades e deseja a sua saúde – Teodorico. (EQp)

A tetku molim da blagoslovi svog vjernog nećaka Teodorica koji je osobito štuje, koji vene od čežnje za Njom i koji joj želi dobro zdravlje. (EQh)

Table 5

Portuguese diminutive suffix Croatian equivalent: semanticaly specific adjective

[...] e era irresistível o profano nimbo luminoso, que eles punham em torno da sua face gordinha, de uma brancura de leite onde se desfez carmesim, toda tenra e suculenta. (EQp)

Bijaše upravo neodoljiva presjajna svjetovna aureola što je one oblikovaše oko njezina bucmastog, prenježnog i presočnog lica mliječne bjeline kojom se razlio grimiz. (EQh)

Instead of some sort of

morpho-syntactic

modification of equal-

meaning adjective in

Croatian, the equivalence is

obtained with an adjective

(non-modified) that by itself

implies specific semantic

nuances: bucmast

(euphemism), zločesta

(euphemism, sympathy),

dobar, nakljukan

(intensification).

Então o padre mais idoso e nédio chegou-me para os joelhos, recomendou-me que fosse temente a Deus, quietinho em casa, sempre obediente à Titi... (EQp)

Tada me stariji i bucmastiji svećenik posjede na koljena savjetovavši mi neka se bojim Boga, neka budem dobar u kući i neka uvijek slušam tetku... (EQh)

Eu respondia que tu não eras má, mas só mazinha; [...] (MECp)

A ja sam odgovarao da ti nisi zla, nego samo malo zločesta; [...] (MECh) Specific lexem and

adverbial modification Ai Vicência, que ele vem cheinho de virtude! Ai que vem mesmo atochadinho dela! (EQp)

Ajme Vicêncio, pa on je prepun kreposti! Nakljukan je njome do iznemoglosti! (EQh)

Table 6 Portuguese diminutive suffix Modification on discursive-pragmatic level

A do tabelião Justino era uma quintazinha no Minho, com roseiras e com parreiras, onde ele pudesse acabar a velhice, em mangas de camisa, e quietinho. (EQp)

Pisar Justino bi volio imati malo imanje u Minhu, s ružicama i vinovom lozom, gdje bi mogao neuštogljeno, spokojno provesti starost. (EQh)

When the connotative

meaning – especially

affective connotation –

prevails in use of diminutive

in Portuguese, and in cases

when it has a discursive-

pragmatic function, this

meaning/function often

transfers to another word in

the sentence or even

modifies the whole sentence

(spokojno – intensification,

ugnjezdiš – comfort, brižno

/with a verb/ - empathy).

Não estou em casa, dirá ela, e se, durante a noite, deitadinho na sua cama, algum sonho agradável excitar o teu velho corpo, já sabes, o remédio está à mão, só terás de ter cuidado com os lençóis. (JS3p)

Nisam kod kuće, reći će, a ako ti, tijekom noći, kad se ugnjezdiš u njezinoj postelji, kakav ugodan san nadraži staro tijelo, već znaš, lijek ti je pri ruci, morat ćeš jedino paziti na plahte. (JS3h)

Ah, pois, amanhã bate-nos aí à porta a dizer que foi uma distracção, a pedir desculpa, e a saber se estás melhorzinho. (JS2p)

O da, kako da ne, sutra će nam zakucati na vrata da kaže da je bio rastresen, da se ispriča, i da se brižno raspita je li ti bolje. (JS2h)

Portuguese diminutive suffixes Without modification

Arrastou-se para fora do buraco, frio como um túmulo, e, enrolado na manta, olhou na sua frente o casario de Jerusalém, as casas baixinhas, de pedra, tocadas pela luz rosada. (JS4p)

Ispuzao je iz rupe, hladne kao grob, i umotan u ogrtač, stao promatrati naselje Jeruzalem pred sobom, niske kamene kuće okupane ružičastom svjetlošću. (JS4h)

Derivational restrictions in

Croatian (it does not exist for

instance diminutive of

adjective nizak and some

other type of modification

wouldn't be

functionally/pragmatically

equivalent, atributting to an

inadequate emphasis).

Lentamente, porque o que regulava a marcha era o passo miudinho e travado do rebanho, [...] (JS4p)

Polagano, jer su hod morali prilagoditi sitnim i sporim koracima stada, [...] (JS4h)

Lexical/Phraseological

restrictions in relativelly

stable word combinations

(e.g. in a conventional

Croatian collocation sitan

korak the collocative cannot

be replaced by the diminutive

variant sićušan).

- Senta-te aí quietinho, ordenou a minha irmã. Ao menos enquanto te sentas não te sujas. (LAp)

- Sjedi tamo i budi miran – naredila je moja sestra. (LAh)

Pragmatic differences -

constitutional rules and

'adequacy' of the speech act;

various discursive strategies

– unlike in Portuguese, in

Croatian diminutive in many

cases is an exceptionally

marked category; in the cited

examples it would undermine

the tone and the

comunication competence,

bring an inadequate emphasis

or even result in a shift of

register.

Mas se voltarem inteirinhos como é de desejar e trouxerem bem abocadas as duas peças desmandadas, [...] (JCPp)

No ako se vrate čitavi, kao što im je i namjera, i sa sobom u zubima donesu plijen, [...] (JCPh)

- Foi-se... Esgotadinho!... Só para a semana... (EQp)

- Nema više... Rasprodano!... Tek za tjedan dana... (EQh)

A Paula era pequena, morena e magrinha. Só tinha uma coisa em comum com a Teresa — ser muito bonita. (MECp)

Paula je bila mala, crnokosa i mršava. Imala je tek nešto zajedničko s Terezom – bila je vrlo lijepa. (MECh)

Table 7