Article published in:
Sociolinguistic patterns and processes of convergence and divergence in SpanishEdited by Isabel Molina Martos, Florentino Paredes García and Ana M. Cestero Mancera
[Spanish in Context 17:2] 2020
► pp. 317–340
Convergences and divergences inthe use of the diminutive in Medellin, Caracas and Madrid
Irania Malaver | Universidad Central de Venezuela
Florentino Paredes García | Universidad de Alcalá
This article analyzes the differences and coincidences in the uses of the diminutive found in three varieties of
Spanish. Based on the classification of the pragmatic functions of the diminutive by Reynoso
(2003), and the analysis of 5355 cases of non-lexicalized diminutives, it may be observed that the three varieties
converge greatly in the production of the diminutive forms of -ito. There is some divergence in the variety of
lexical bases that support the diminutive since the people of Madrid use (and listen to) more diminutives than Americans, but they
use (and listen to) them in a smaller number of different words. The social factors contained in the sample have shown a reduced
effect on the functions of the suffix, and a partially differentiating behavior among the three communities: in Caracas, age has a
strong influence on the functions while, in Madrid and Medellin, the level of education is the factor that exerts more influence
on these functions.
Keywords: sociolinguistics, diminutive, speech community, Spanish of Madrid, Spanish of Caracas, Spanish of Medellin
Published online: 01 October 2020
https://doi.org/10.1075/sic.00061.mal
https://doi.org/10.1075/sic.00061.mal
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