Suffixes for Italian nouns
http://italian.about.com/cs/grammar/ht/usesuffixes.htm
Suffixes for Italian nouns (including proper names) and adjectives can take on various shades
of meaning by adding different suffixes. This How-To will help you expand your vocabulary and
creatively describe nouns and adjectives.
Here's How:
1.
To indicate smallness or express affection or endearment, add the common suffixes
such as -ino/a/i/e, -etto/a/i/e, -ello/a/i/e, and -uccio, -uccia, -ucci, -ucce.
Adding the above endings, Maria (Mary) becomes Mariuccia (little Mary), and case
(houses) becomes casette (little houses).
2.
To denote largeness add -one/-ona (singular) and -oni/-one (plural). Libro (book)
becomes librone (big book), and lettera (letter) becomes letterona (long letter).
3.
To convey the idea of a bad or ugly quality, add the suffixes -accio, -accia, -acci, and acce. Parola (word) becomes parolaccia (dirty word).
Tips:
1. When a suffix is added, the final vowel of the word is dropped.
2. Since it is very difficult to know which suffix(es) a noun may take, it is advisable to use
only forms that you have read in Italian books or heard used by native speakers.
3. Many feminine nouns become masculine when the suffix -one is added: la palla
(ball) becomes il pallone (soccer ball), and la porta (door) becomes il portone (street
door
Sometimes an Italian noun can be modified to express a particular quality (large, small, pretty,
ugly) without using a qualifying Italian adjective. These nouns are created by taking the root of
the noun and adding a suffix such as -ino, -one, -etto, or -accio. Italian nouns formed this way
are called i nomi alterati (altered, or modified, nouns). Italian grammarians refer to this type of
suffix modification as alterazione (alteration).
4. There are four types of nomi alterati: diminutivi (diminutives), accrescitivi
(augmentatives), vezzeggiativi (pet names or terms of endearment), and peggiorativi (or
dispregiativi) (pejoratives or derogatory terms). Most common Italian nouns can be modified,
but keep in mind that the gender and number of the suffix must agree with the noun.
5. Using Nomi Alterati - How and when are modified Italian nouns used? Unlike, for
example, choosing auxiliary verbs or forming plural adjectives, Italian speakers are
never required to use nomi alterati. There are no hard and fast grammar rules, either,
for when it's appropriate, in conversation or print, to use them. Rather, it's a personal
linguistic choice—some people use them frequently, and others tend to use adjectives
instead.
It also depends on the audience, the setting, and on the level of rapport between the
parties. In certain situations, some modified Italian nouns would be inappropriate or out of
context. But using a well-chosen nome alterato, pronounced with the right inflection and
tone, can communicate volumes. In one sense, it's analogous to humor—timing is all.
Spelling Changes to Noun Root - When creating i nomi alterati, a few nouns, when modified,
undergo a spelling change to the root. For example:
uomo—omone
cane—cagnone
Sex Changes to Noun Root - In some instances the root noun changes gender when creating
i nomi alterati. For example:
barca (feminine noun)—un barcone (masculine noun): a large boat
donna (feminine noun)—un donnone (masculine noun): a big (large) woman
febbre (feminine noun)—un febbrone (masculine noun): very high fever
sala (feminine noun)—un salone (masculine noun): a large room
6. Alterati Diminutivi (Diminutives) - A diminutivo usually conveys such meanings as: small,
tiny. The following are examples of suffissi alterativi (alternate endings) used to form diminutivi
(diminutives):
-ino: mamma—mammina; minestra—minestrina; pensiero—pensierino; ragazzo—ragazzino;
-(i)cino (a variant of -ino): bastone—bastoncino; libro—libric(c)ino
-olino (a variant of -ino): sasso—sassolino; topo—topolino; freddo—freddolino; magro—
magrolino;
-etto: bacio—bacetto; camera—cameretta; casa—casetta; lupo—lupetto; basso—bassetto;
piccolo—piccoletto.
Frequently used concurrently with other suffixes: scarpa—scarpetta—scarpettina; secco—
secchetto—secchettino
-ello: albero—alberello; asino—asinello; paese—paesello; rondine—rondinella; cattivo—
cattivello; povero—poverello;
-(i)cello (a variant of -ello): campo—campicello; informazione—informazioncella;
-erello (a variant of -ello): fatto—fatterello; fuoco—f(u)ocherello.
Frequently used concurrently with other suffixes: storia—storiella—storiellina; bucco—
bucherello—bucherellino;
-icci(u)olo: asta—asticci(u)ola; festa—festicciola; porto—porticciolo; sometimes can also have
a pejorative sense: donna—donnicci(u)ola;
-(u)olo: faccenda—faccenduola; montagna—montagnuola; poesia—poesiola;
-otto: contadino—contadinotto; pieno—pienotto; giovane—giovanotto; ragazzo—ragazzotto;
basso—bassotto.
The ending also refers to a juvenile animal: aquila—aquilotto; lepre—leprotto; passero—
passerotto; -iciattolo (considered a diminutive/pejorative combination): febbre—febbriciattolo;
fiume—fiumiciattolo; libro—libriciattolo; mostro—mostriciattolo
7. Alterati Accrescitivi (Augmentatives)
An accrescitivo usually conveys such meanings as: large, big, grand. It is the opposite of a
diminutive. The following are examples of suffissi alterativi (alternate endings) used to form
accrescitivi (augmentatives):
-one: febbre—febbrona (febbrone); libro—librone; pigro—pigrone; mano—manona (manone);
ghiotto—ghiottone.
Frequently used concurrently with other suffixes: uomo—omaccio—omaccione; pazzo—
pazzerello—pazzerellone.
Sometimes the intermediate term is not used in contemporary Italian: buono—
bonaccione
-acchione (has an ironic connotation): frate—fratacchione; volpe—volpacchione; furbo—
furbacchione; matto—mattachione
8. Alterati Vezzeggiativi (Pet Names or Terms of Endearment)
A vezzeggiativo usually conveys such meanings as: affection, sympathy, enjoyment, grace.
The following are examples of suffissi alterativi (alternate endings) used to form vezzeggiativi
(pet names or terms of endearment):
-acchiotto (considered a diminutive/pet name combination): lupo—lupacchiotto; orso—
orsacchiotto; volpe—volpacchiotto; furbo—furbacchiotto
-uccio: avvocato—avvocatuccio; casa—casuccia; cavallo—cavalluccio; caldo—calduccio;
freddo—fredduccio
-uzzo (a variant of -uccio): pietra—pietruzza
An example of how vezzeggiativi are used: "I have a friend who calls me Paoletto. This doesn't
sound very much like a man, of course, but it's out of affection. More realistically, my brother
calls me Paolone, Big Paolo."
9. Alterati Peggiorativi (Pejoratives) - A peggiorativo usually conveys such meanings as:
contempt, defiance, disdain, scorn (for), disregard, self-contempt, self-disgust. The
following are examples of suffissi alterativi (alternate endings) used to form peggiorativi
(pejoratives):
-ucolo: donna—donnucola; maestro—maestrucolo; poeta—poetucolo
-accio: coltello—coltellaccio; libro—libraccio; voce—vociaccia; avaro—avaraccio
-azzo (a variant of -accio): amore—amorazzo; coda—codazzo
-astro (has a pejorative sense when the root is a noun, and an attenuated sense when
the root is an adjective): medico—medicastro; poeta—poetastro; politico—politicastro;
bianco—biancastro; dolce—dolciastro; rosso—rossastro
21. Alterati Falsi - Certain nouns that appear to be nomi alterati are actually nouns in and off
themselves. For example, the following forms are falsi alterati (false altered nouns):
tacchino
bottone
mattone
focaccia
occhiello
burrone
colletto
collina
limone
cerotto
(not the diminutive of tacco)
(not the augmentative of botto)
(not the augmentative of matto)
(not the pejorative of foca)
(not the diminutive of occhio)
(not the augmentative of burro)
(not the diminutive of collo)
(not the diminutive of colla)
(not the augmentative of lima)
(not the augmentative of cero)
23. In addition, be aware when creating nomi alterati that not all nouns can be combined with
all suffixes. Either the term sounds off-key to the ear (Italian is a musical language, after all), or
the resulting word is linguistically awkward. In general, the repetition of the same sound
element in both the root and suffix should be avoided: tetto can be modified into tettino or
tettuccio, but not tettetto; contadino can be modified into contadinello or contadinetto, but not
contadinino. It's best to use only forms you have observed in print or heard used by native
speakers. When in doubt, consult a dictionary.
On the other hand, if you want to stretch your creative language skills, try coining a neologismo
(neologism). Matching nouns with previously unused modifying suffixes is one way that new
words are formed. After all, you'd get a big laugh from native Italians if, after eating an
unappetizing pizza, you were to declare, "Che pizzaccia!".