Diminutives in Southern Hemisphere Englishes

Abstract

This article deals with the differences in diminutive formation and usage in Australian (AusE), New Zealand (NZE), and South African (SAE) Englishes (Southern Hemisphere Englishes; SHEs). Diminutives in -ie characteristic for all three varieties have been analyzed. The study shows that South African English contains a lot of diminutives borrowed from Afrikaans and is therefore different from Australian and New Zealand varieties where almost all diminutives are formed from English bases. Other differences in the composition of diminutives in each SHEs variety reflect the distinguishing features of local flora and fauna, as well as phenomena characteristic of the local social environment.