Deborah,
Well actually Fr <popo> is a diminutive of Fr <popotin> = En <bottom> (but <popotin> is rather girlish - or kiddish maybe : boys and men rarely use this word when referring to theirs). I'm not astonished <popo> or <popotin> is used by ballerinas. Fr <on se bouge le popotin> = En <now move your ass> is non-derogatory.
Fr <vroum-vroum> is the sound made by a car's engine. <Tut-tut> is the car-klaxon sound.
<Meuh> : cow. <Miaou> : cat. <Grrrr> : tiger, lion... <Cot-cot (codec)> : chicken or hen. <Couin-couin> : duck. <Cocorico> = rooster. <Ssssssss> : snake. <Bêêêh> : sheep. <Mêêêh> = goat. <Glou-glou> = turkey. <Groin-groin> = pig. <Rou-rou> = pidgeon, turtledove. <Hi-han> = donkey. <Ouh-ouh> = owl. <Coucou> = cuckoo. <Ouh> = wolf (with ominously sustained low intonation). <Coa-coa> = frog. <Croa-croa> = crow. <Areuh> = human baby. <Bla bla> = human adult.
>does Afrikaans have more words besides "slapies" that add -ies for diminutives? <
Deborah
Yes, -ie is used for many dimunitives also tjie (not always for baby talk)
Eg:
boom - boompie (small tree - not baby talk)
hond - hondjie (small dog - not baby talk - the t- is left out because the d is pronouced as t)
kar - karretjie (small car - not baby talk)
Sometimes the dimunitive is not used to indicate smallness, but for example affection - my son - my seun my seuntjie (affectionate) or to make softer what you are saying - I baked a cake * ek het 'n koek gebak - ek het 'n koekie gebak (actually a big cake, but I want to indicate it was'nt really so much of an effort)
diminutives are of course also used a lot in baby talk
Deborah
A few more examples (I'll indicate when its specifically baby talk)
straat - straatjie (very short street)
man - mannetjie (short man - also derogatory term)
vrou - vroutjie ( short term - sometimes also used affectionately as in my vrou - my vroutjie)
soen - soentjie (seductive or used when speaking to children *man to his wife/girlfriend give me a kiss - gee my 'n soentjie)
huis - huisie (small house - but also modest my huisie - which can in fact be quite large)
vaak (to be sleepy) - vakies (baby)
siek - siekies (baby)
moeg - moegies (baby)
kind - kindjie BUT kindertjies (plural)
pap - pappies (porridge (baby)
kos - kossies (food) (baby)
verbs: (usually baby talk)
slaap - slapies
hardloop (run) - hardlopies
loop (walk) - lopies
we also add the -ie or tjie to names eg andrétjie to show affection or when speaking to a child occasionaly also derogatory
Greg and Deborah
The Afrikaans versions of these sounds
<Meuh> : cow. Moe
<Miaou> : cat. Miaau
<Grrrr> : tiger, lion... Grrrr
<Cot-cot (codec)> : chicken or hen. <Couin-couin> :
duck. <Cocorico> kwek
= rooster. koekoeloekoe
<Ssssssss> : snake. sssssssss
<Bêêêh> : sheep. Mêêê
<Mêêêh> = goat. Bêêê
<Glou-glou> = turkey. koeloe-koeloe
<Groin-groin> = pig. oink
<Rou-rou> = pidgeon, turtledove. koer-koer
<Hi-han> = donkey. hi-ha
<Ouh-ouh> = owl. <Coucou> = oe-oe
<Coa-coa> = frog. kwaak
<Areuh> = human baby. wêêê
<Bla bla> = human adult. bla-bla
Interesting -- English-speaking pigs say "oink" also. (At least, AmE-speaking pigs do.)
andre in south africa : I suppose the French equivalent to Dutch <wêêê> is <ouin> (baby cry), while babbling is <areuh, areuh>. Grown-ups are actually much talking <areuh> when addressing babies...
greg
yes the wêêê is the crying sound a baby makes. Incidently, this is afrikaans not dutch
yes, dutch babies cry like this....
;) :) :/ :\ :( :() Wheééééééééééeééeéé!!!!!!!!!!!!
bay they do throw tantrums don't they? ;)
boy they do throw tantrums don't they? ;)
No they can't ,we chain them...
Holland really is an enlightened nation!
Hahahahah!
We are ,in fact if the docters think the baby will become a criminal,we oblige the mother to have an abortion! Hahahahahahaha!) LOL