different between diminutive vs sawney

English

Alternative forms

• (noun, grammar): dim. (abbreviation)

Etymology

From Middle French diminutif (1398), from Latin diminutivum, from d?minu? (“diminish”).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /d??m?n.j?.t?v/, /d??m?n.j?.t?v/

Adjective

diminutive (comparative more diminutive, superlative most diminutive)

1. Very small.

   Synonyms: lilliputian, tiny

   Antonyms: huge, gigantic
2. (obsolete) Serving to diminish.
   • 1711, Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury, Characteristicks of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times, 1714 edition republished by Gregg International Publishers, 1968, Volume 3, Miscellany 3, Chapter 2, p. 175,^[2]

     They cou’d, perhaps, even embrace POVERTY contentedly, rather than submit to any thing diminutive either of their inward Freedom or national Liberty.

3. (grammar) Of or pertaining to, or creating a word form expressing smallness, youth, unimportance, or endearment.

   Antonym: augmentative

Translations

Noun

diminutive (plural diminutives)

1. (grammar) A word form expressing smallness, youth, unimportance, or endearment.

   Synonyms: nomen deminutivum, pet form

   Antonym: augmentative

Translations

Related terms

• diminish
• diminution
• diminutization
• diminutize
• dimwit

Further reading

• diminutive on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Danish

Adjective

diminutive

1. definite of diminutiv
2. plural of diminutiv

French

Adjective

diminutive

1. feminine singular of diminutif

German

Adjective

diminutive

1. inflection of diminutiv:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Italian

Adjective

diminutive

1. feminine plural of diminutivo

Norwegian Bokmål

Adjective

diminutive

1. definite singular/plural of diminutiv

Norwegian Nynorsk

Adjective

diminutive

1. definite singular/plural of diminutiv

English

Etymology

(fool, idiot): From Sawney, a Scots variant of the personal name Sandy.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?s??ni/

Noun

sawney (countable and uncountable, plural sawneys)

1. (countable) A fool, an idiot.
2. (Britain, slang, obsolete, uncountable) Bacon.
   • 1820, John Bull (volumes 1-2, page 363)

     Tyrrell, another boy, confirmed their testimony, and said, on one occasion, when they had stolen a heart, liver, and lights, the prisoner said, "go out, one or two of you, and see if you can get a bit of sawney!" (meaning a bit of bacon).

   • 1861, The old Roman well (volume 1, page 62)

     A man came in as she spoke, and drawing a large piece of bacon from his pocket, flung it down upon the counter.
     'How much d'ye want for it?' said the lodging-house keeper, weighing it with his eyes.
     'Sixpence.'
     'Sixpence for a bit of sawney! (thieved bacon). We can't give more than fourpence in this shop, my buffer.'

Adjective

sawney (comparative more sawney, superlative most sawney)

1. foolish, stupid

References

• (bacon): 1873, John Camden Hotten, The Slang Dictionary

Anagrams

• Swaney, Swayne, waneys