The Latin language has a robust diminutive-forming system. There are many diminutive suffixes: those in calculus, axilla, fistula, and areola to start. There is often more than one correct way to form a diminutive, and many more incorrect ones.
Gender The masculine, feminine, and neuter diminutives often end in -us, -a, and -um. later, -is (m.) > later-cul-us (m.) mulier, -is (f.) > mulier-cul-a (f.) tūber, -is (n.) > tūber-cul-um (n.)
There are exceptions. These masculine words end in -a: scurr-a (m.) > scurr-ul-a (m.) vern-a (m.) > vern-ul-a (m.)
Many have a vowel, followed by one or two ls, followed by the endings just mentioned. Here we see stem + 'ul' + ending.
Example Nomative diminutivealterius generis diminutiveeiusdem generis ac-us (f.) aculeus (m.) calx, calc-is (f.) calc-ulus (m.) can-is, -is (m./f.) can-īcula (f.) catēn-a (f.) catēl-lus (m.) catēl-la (f.) / catēn-ula (f.) cicer, -is (n.) cicer-cula (f.) convent-us, -ūs (m.) convent-iculum (n.) curr-us, -ūs (m.) curr-iculum (n.) diē-s (m./f.) diē-cula (f.) galēr-us (m.) galēr-iculum (n.) gust-us, -ūs (m.) gust-ulum (n.) linter, lintr-is (f.) lintr-iculus (m.) nŭx, nŭc-is (f.) nŭc-(u)leus (m.) nŭc-ula (f.) pistrīn-um (n.) pistrīl-la (f.) rān-a (f.) rān-unculus (m.) rān-ula (f.) statu-a (f.) stat-unculum (n.) ungu-is, -is (m.) ung-ula (f.) ungu-iculus (m.) vepr-ēs, -is (m.) vepr-ēcula (f.)
The rules can be a bit involved. The diminutive depends on the gender, declination (first, second, etc.) and the root's ending.
First and second declension Conspectus parvus Stem termination Diminutive formation Examples Vide : Simplex form Diminutive 1 diminutive 2 - + -ul- hort-us hort-ul-us hic -e- / -i- + -ol- calce-us calce-ol-us hic -ul- -ul- > -ell- ocul-us ocel-l-us hic-ul- > -ill- bacul-um bacil-l-um muta + r -r- > -ell- umbr-a umbel-l-a hic -er- -er- > -ell- oper-a opel-l-a oper-ul-a hic -ēn- -ēn- > -ēll- catēn-a catēl-l-a catēn-ul-a hic -ĭn- -ĭn- > -ell- pāgĭn-a pāgel-l-a pāgĭn-ul-a hic -īn- -īn- > -īll- crumīn-a crumīl-l-a hic vāgīn-a vāgīn-ul-a -ōn- -ōn- > -ōll- corōn-a corōl-l-a corōn-ul-a hic -gn- -gn- > -gill- pugn-us pugil-l-us hic agn-us agn-ell -us -mn- -mn- > -mell- column-a columel-l-a hic aerumn-a aerumn-ul-a -aul--āl--ēl- -aul- > -auxill--āl- > -axill--ēl- > -exill- paul-us pauxil-l-us paul-ul-us hic
Regula Generalis
In general the diminutive of nouns of the first or second declension which end in obstruents or the semivowel /w/ (written <v>) take the suffix -ulus/-ula/-ulum (depending on grammatical gender).
Classis Regular Irregular principale deminutive principale deminutive Regula principalis vīc-us vīc-ulus fīc-us (f.) fīc-ula port-a port-ula scurr-a (m.) scurr-ula (m.) crust-um crust-ulum cerv-a cervula rīvus rīvulus
Stems ending in Vowels
Nouns of the first or second declension whose stems end in a vowel typically take -ola, -olus, or -olum depending on if they are of the feminine, masculine, or neuter gender respectively. Words ending in the glide /w/ (written v), take -ul- like other stems ending in consonants (cf. cerva/cervula).
Classis Regular Irregular stem diminutiive stem diminutive Regula principalis gladi-us gladi-olus besti-a besti-ola palli-um palli-olum calce-us calce-olus āre-a āre-ola hirne-a hirn-ula horre-um horre-olum
In the first declination, -ia can become =illa or =ola. (Lucia → Lucilla, sed Tullia → Tulliola).
Roots with -ul-
Nouns whose stems end in -ul- (either the root itself, or due to the noun in question being a diminutive already), when their diminutive is formed, the stem-final, -ul- changes either to -ell- or -ill-. It is difficult to find any regular correspondence between the context surrounding -ul- and whether the diminutive's stem ends in -ell- or -ill-.
In the table below, those which are diminutives already have the original stem listed under "principle". In cases where the diminutive's meaning is very different from that of the original noun, the noun in question is enclosed with parentheses.
Stems ending in: -(Principale) Basesingle diminutive deminutivumdouble-diminutive in -ELL- in -ILL- -B(UL)- - fābul-a fābell-a - tābul-a tābell-a -C(UL)- - ancul-a ancill-a - bacul-um bacill-um - crepitācul-um crepitācill-um cōdex cōdicul-us cōdicill-us mollis (adi.) mollicul-us (adi.) mollicell-us (adi.) (pēnis) pēnicul-us pēnicill-us avis avicul-a aucell-a locus locul-us locell-us - ocul-us ocell-us - pōcul-um pōcill-um bucca buccul-a buccell-a porcus porcul-us porcell-us furca furcul-a furcill-a -D(UL)- haedus haedul-us haedill-us -F(UL)- offa offul-a ŏfell-a -G(UL)- - angul-us angell-us - singul-us (adi.) singill-atim (adv.) - cingul-um cingill-um (unguis) ungul-a ungell-a -M(UL)- mamma mammul-a mămill-a -N(UL)- āgnus) āgnul-us āgnell-us (ānus) ānul-us ānell-us -P(UL)- - manipul-us manipell-us pūpus/-a pūpul-us/-a pūpill-us/-a -R(UL)- murmur murmurul-um murmurill-um turtur turturul-a turturill-a -S(UL)- caps-a capsul-a capsell-a pūsus pūsul-us pŭsill-us -T(UL)- aries arietul-us arietill-us - catul-us/-a catell-us/-a cist-a cistul-a cistell-a pūtus pūtul-us pŭtill-us - situl-a sitell-a
The double diminutives of words ending in -er, or -in-, are usually formed by adding -ul- to the end of the existing diminutive..
Context Root Single diminutive Double diminutive -in- asin-us asel-lus asell-ulus -er- culter cultel-lus cult-ell-ulus -ul- ocul-us ocellus ocellulus
Roots with -r- Stems ending in: Examples Following the general rule principale deminutivum principale deminutivum cons. + r libĕr, libr-i libel-lus umbr-a umbel-la fenestr-a fenestel-la fenestr-a fenestr-ula sacr-um sacel-lum -ĕr- misĕr, misĕr-i (adi.) misel-lus misĕr, misĕr-i (adi.) misĕr-ulus tenĕr, tenĕr-i (adi.) tenel-lus tenĕr, tenĕr-i (adi.) tenĕr-ulus puĕr, puĕr-i puel-lus puĕr, puĕr-i puĕr-ulus opĕr-a opel-la opĕr-a opĕr-ula tessĕr-a tessel-la tessĕr-a tessĕr-ula camĕr-a camel-la littĕr-a littĕr-ula patĕr-a patel-la -ŏr- amphŏr-a ampul-la -ŭr- satŭr, satŭr-i (adi.) satul-lus
Roots with -n- Stems ending in: Examples Following the general rule principale deminutivum principale deminutivum -ēn- catēn-a catēl-la /-lus (m.) catēn-a catēn-ula cēn-a cēn-ula habēn-a habēn-ula harēn-a harēn-ula vēn-a vēn-ula ahēn-um ahēn-ulum -ĭn- asĭn-us/-a asel-lus/-la domĭn-us domĭn-ulus gemĭn-us gemel-lus fēmĭn-a fēmel-la sarcĭn-a sarcĭn-ula fiscĭn-a fiscel-la fuscĭn-a fuscĭn-ula pāgĭn-a pāgel-la pāgĭn-a pāgĭn-ula lāmĭn-a lāmel-la patĭn-a patel-la -īn- bovīn-us (adi.) bovīl-lus gallīn-a gallīn-ula catīn-us catīl-lus piscīn-a piscīn-ula lupīn-us lupīl-lus spīn-a spīn-ula crumīn-a crumīl-la vāgīn-a vāgīn-ula salīn-um salīl-lum pulvīn-us pulvīl-lus pistrīn-um pistrīl-la (f.) vīn-um vīl-lum -ōn- corōn-a corōl-la corōn-a corōn-ula persōn-a persōl-la caupōn-a caupōn-ula zōn-a zōn-ula -gn- pugn-us pugil-lus agn-us agn-ellus sign-um sigil-lum tign-um tigil-lum -mn- column-a columel-la aerumn-a aerumn-ula lāmn-a lāmel-la lāmn-a lāmn-ula scamn-um scabel-lumscabil-lumscamil-lus (m.) domn-a domn-ula
Roots with -xill- Stirpes exeuntes in: Exempla Excepta principale deminutivum principale deminutivum -aul--āl--ēl- paul-us (adi.) pauxil-lus paul-us (adi.) paul-ulus pāl-us paxil-lus tāl-us taxil-lus āl-a axil-la āl-a āl-icula māl-a maxil-la vēl-um vexil-lum
Exceptions deminutiva exeuntia in: Exempla principale deminutivumirregulare deminutivumregulare -CUL- lagoen-a / lagōna lagun-cula -ĀCUL- vern-a (m.) vern-āculus (m. / adi.) vern-ula (m.) -ICUL- āl-a āl-icula axil-la bland-us (adi.) bland-iculus bland-ulus galēr-us (m.) galēr-iculum (n.) montān-us (adi.) montān-iculus pann-us pann-iculus pann-ulus pugn-a pugn-icula thyrs-us thyrs-iculus uter-us utr-iculus -IOL- sigill-um sigill-iolum tympan-um tympan-iolum -UNCUL- av-us av-unculus lemb-us lemb-unculus mendāci-um mendāci-unculum petas-us petas-unculus rān-a (f.) rān-unculus (m.) rān-ula (f.) statu-a (f.) stat-unculum (n.) tuguri-um tuguri-unculum tuguri-olum -USCUL- rām-us rām-usculus rām-ulus -ULEUS equ-us ec-uleus ec-ulus / equolus
Third declension
in -es, -is & -e Nomina exeuntia in: Formatio deminutivi Exempla Vide : principale deminutivum 1 deminutivum 2 -ēs -ēcul- vulp-ēs vulp-ēcul-a hic -is -icul- nāv-is nāv-icul-a hic -ĕ -icul- rēt-ĕ rēt-icul-um hic
More nouns, third declination Stirpes exeuntes in: Formatio deminutivi Exempla Vide : principale deminutivum 1 deminutivum 2 -c- / -g- + -ul- făx, făc-is făc-ul-a hic -t- / -d- + -ul- nepōs, nepōt-is nepōt-ul-us hic + -icul- anăs, anăt-is anăt-icul-a -p- / -b- + -icul- plēbs, plēb-is plēb-icul-a hic -n- -ōn- > -uncul- ratio, ratiōn-is ratiun-cul-a hic -ĭn- > -uncul- homo, homĭn-is homun-cul-us -r(r)- / -l(l)- + -cul- mulier, -is mulier-cul-a hic -r- < -s- + -cul- mūs, mūr-is mūs-cul-us hic rūmor, rūmōris rūmus-cul-us plures cons. + -icul- venter, ventr-is ventr-icul-us hic
Nouns in -ēs, -is Nomina exeuntia in: Exempla Excepta principale deminutivum principale deminutivum -ēs, -is vulp-ēs, -is vulp-ēcula saepēs, -is saep-icula nūb-ēs, -is nūb-ēcula vepr-ēs, -is (m.) vepr-ēcula (f.)
Nouns in -is, -is (m./f.) or -ĕ, -is (n.) Words ending in: Exempla Exceptions principale deminutivum principale deminutivum -is, -is (m./f.) -ĕ, -is (n.) turr-is, -is turr-icula vall-is, -is vall-ēcula nāv-is, -is nāv-icula vīt-is, -is vīt-ēcula (iuxta vīt-icula) ign-is, -is ign-iculus corb-is corb-ula fort-is, -is (adi.) fort-iculus virid-is, -is (adi.) virid-ulus rēt-ĕ, -is (n.) rēt-iculum ass-is, -is ass-ula can-is, -is (m./f.) can-īcula (f.) iuven-is, -is iuven-culus cut-is, -is cut-īcula febr-is, -is febr-īcula
Roots with -c- & -g- Stirpes exeuntes in: Exempla Excepta principale deminutivum principale deminutivum -c- -g- făx, făc-is făc-ula nŭx, nŭc-is (f.) nŭc-ula nŭx, nŭc-is (f.) nŭc(u)leus (m.) rēx, rēg-is rēg-ulus vōx, vōc-is vōc-ula audāx, audāc-is (adi.) audāc-ulus lanx, lanc-is lanc-ula lanx, lanc-is lanc-icula falx, falc-is falc-ula falx, falc-is falc-icula calx, calc-is (f.) calc-ulus (m.)
Roots with -t- and -d- Stirpes exeuntes in: deminutiva in -ul- deminutiva in -icul- Formae irregulares principale deminutivum principale deminutivum principale deminutivum -t- -d- nepōs, nepōt-is nepōt-ulus pyxis, pyxid-is pyxid-icula lapis, lapid-is lapil-lus aetās, aetāt-is aetāt-ula anăs, anăt-is anăt-icula cor, cordis cor-culum civitās, civitāt-is civitāt-ula lucuns, lucunt-is lucun-culus mercēs, mercēd-is mercēd-ula pēs, pĕd-is pĕd-iculus pēs, pĕd-is pĕd-iolus / pĕt-iolus caput, capit-is capit-ulum sors, sort-is sort-icula glans, gland-is gland-ula puls, pult-is pult-icula valens, valent-is (adi.) valent-ulus dens, dent-is dent-iculus infans, infant-is (adi.) infant-ulus lens, lent-is lent-icula blandiloquens, ~nt-is (adi.) blandiloquent-ulus fons, font-is font-iculus adulescens, ~nt-is (adi.) adulescent-ulus pons, pont-is pont-iculus ariēs, ariĕt-is ariĕt-illus pars, part-is part-icula
Roots with -p- et -b- Stirpes exeuntes in: Exempla Excepta principale deminutivum principale deminutivum -p-? -b- plēbs, plēb-is plēb-icula (plēbēs, -is) plēb-ēcula scrobs, scrob-is scrob-iculus trabs, trab-is trab-icula (trabēs, -is) trab-ēcula
Roots with -n- Stirpes exeuntes in: Exemplars Exceptions base diminutive base diminutive -n- ratio, ratiōn-is ratiun-cula sermo, sermōn-is sermun-culus lēno, lēnōn-is lēnun-culus lēno, lēnōn-is lēnul-lus homo, homĭn-is homun-culus homo, homĭn-is homul-lus / homun-cio, ~ōnis caro, carn-is carun-cula pectĕn, pectĭn-is pectun-culus flumĕn, flumĭn-is flum-icellum sanguis, sanguĭn-is sangun-culus
Roots with -r(r)- et -l(l)-et -s-