languages that Have suffixes like Italian and Spanish.

Lara   Mon Dec 31, 2007 9:53 am GMT
Spanish: Casa (house), Casota or casona ( big house) and Casita (Little house). Casotota (Extre big house) Casosososotota (Gigantic house, usually exaggeration)

Italian: Casa (house) Casetta or casina (little house). Not sure is casa can turn to casino (can someone verify this)

This is unique in some languages, but I'm not sure If French Builds this sort of structures. can you name other languages that have this sort of structure. I only know this two.
lara   Mon Dec 31, 2007 10:12 am GMT
the term is Diminutives
Colette d'Allemagne   Mon Dec 31, 2007 10:13 am GMT
German does it with the suffixes -chen and -lein, which make the noun cuter and smaller than what it originally was (as a rule).
Fonseca   Mon Dec 31, 2007 10:23 am GMT
Mexicans (mexicanos) don't like to be called mexicanitos (little insignificant mexicans), so don't try using this one because it can sound offensive.
Samuel   Mon Dec 31, 2007 10:33 am GMT
in Spanish it is used a lot with smaller children.

senora (older woman)
senorita (young lady). senorita can also mean someone who is still a virgin.

some may have negative connotations like someone mention (mexicanitos)

Hombre (man)= hombrecito (Little man or manless)

Mujer (woman)= Mujercita (Little woman or Prostitute)

Mujersuela (prostitute)

some may depend on the context and may be offensive. People who exaggerate a lot and lie used this all the time.
Guest   Mon Dec 31, 2007 11:33 am GMT
how about adjectives.

Italian buono (Good): buonissimo

Spanish buen: buenisimo

Italian intelligente: intelligentissimo (so intelligent or very intelligent)
Spanish inteligente: inteligentisimo (so intelligent or very intelligent)
Guest   Mon Dec 31, 2007 11:53 am GMT
I've heard in Spanish a lot of times phrases such as

Bellisimamente

Inteligentisimamente

perfectisimamente perfecto

are these grammatically correct? They add -mente

it is like saying she is intelligently very intelligent
Guest   Mon Dec 31, 2007 2:20 pm GMT
let's take as an example the word pesce = fish

pesciolino, pescetto = small fish
pescione = big fish
pesciaccio = bad fish

Some words have many forms: libro= book

libretto, libricino, librino = small book
Guest   Mon Dec 31, 2007 5:50 pm GMT
french has many of these.


- ...et/...ette meaning smal (like "...ito/...ita" in Spanish), ex. maisonnette
- ...issime, like "...issimo/issima". bellissime, etc.
- ...on, like paillasson vs paillasse, etc.
furrykef   Mon Dec 31, 2007 9:40 pm GMT
<< Casosososotota >>

Would this word really be comprehensible in Spanish? Or is it just theoretically possible?
Guest   Tue Jan 01, 2008 12:48 am GMT
yes it is possible.

when someone score they say: golazazazazazazo (golazo)
Guest   Tue Jan 01, 2008 1:13 am GMT
Portuguese has them too.
Guest   Tue Jan 01, 2008 1:26 am GMT
casino=casa

is this where casino comes from?
Guest   Tue Jan 01, 2008 2:43 am GMT
Think "casino" is the Italian "country house", reunion place and so on...
It's not exactly the same as "casa", but it's from the same family.
Julienne   Tue Jan 01, 2008 4:34 am GMT
Then how is it connected with gambling? Is there a history behind casino?