DIMINUTIVE SUFFIXES IN BULGARIAN

Abstract

Diminutive suffixes do not show the same properties cross-linguistically. In some languages they behave like inflectional, while in others they display a derivational character. This paper deals with Bulgarian diminutive suffixes. It investigates their behaviour, and gives an account of their status in morphology. The theoretical framework adopted here views morphology as a continuum with derivation and inflection at the two poles. Diminutive suffixes are situated in between, and their proximity to the one pole or to the other depends on the particular language one deals with and the individual properties of each suffix. In the light of this framework, the paper investigates Bulgarian diminutive suffixes with respect to their position within the word, their distribution, and the features (semantic and morpho-syntactic), which they transfer to the base. It is suggested that they are heads of their constructions, and that they display a derivational character.