Typological Features of Diminutive Markers Derived from Words for"Son/Child"in Sino-Tibetan Languages
Diminutive markers derived from words for"son/child"are generally used in Sino-Tibetan languages.Based on a corpus consisting of more than 100 languages and dialects,we explore the phonological features,sound correspondences and paths of semantic evolution of diminutives.We find that in Tibeto-Burman languages,the diminutive markers correspond in pronunciation to the Chinese word for zi子"child",while in Hmong-Mien and Kam-Tai languages,the diminutive markers correspond in pronunciation to the Chinese word for er 儿"son".Cross-linguistically,the diminutive markers in Sino-Tibetan languages,which are derived from words for"son/child",share universal tendencies and enjoy unique features as well.
NETL
NSTL
万方数据
