Re:Worms frozen in permafrost for up to 42,000 years come ba...
by scandox on Friday July 27, 2018 @04:43AM
(#17624478)
Tierchen is surely cuter than just Animal? Like maybe like critter or beastie?
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Re:Worms frozen in permafrost for up to 42,000 years come ba...
by zaarn on Friday July 27, 2018 @07:37AM
(#17625188)
Yes.
"Tier" would be an animal of sorts. "chen" is a common suffix for cutiefying something or indicate it's small (and adorable).
"Tierchen" would be a cute animal, usually a small one too.
The suffixes "-lein" und "-erl" function similarly but have been largely replaced in common german (though in southern germany, both are alive and well)
Re:Worms frozen in permafrost for up to 42,000 years come ba...
by sushimako on Friday July 27, 2018 @08:58AM
(#17625604)
The linguistic term for what you are describing is "diminutive".
Re:Worms frozen in permafrost for up to 42,000 years come ba...
by pavel_lishin on Friday July 27, 2018 @08:57AM
(#17625594)
I assuem that's the "-lein" in "Fraulein"? Is "-erl" the masculine version?
Re:Worms frozen in permafrost for up to 42,000 years come ba...
by blensor on Friday July 27, 2018 @10:18AM
(#17626128)
Hmm, interesting to try and pinpoint the difference between "lein" and "erl".
I would say they are both diminutive but not exactly in the same way.
erl ... would be more related to the actual size
Sack -> Sackerl (bag -> small bag)
Wagen -> Wagerl (cart -> small cart)
lein ... would be more related to the inner size (sorry I can't frame this into words any better) Frau -> Fräulein (Woman -> Younger/Fragile woman (unmarried))
Wagen -> Wäglein (Cart -> smaller but also lesser cart)
edit: referring to the answer of pavel_lishin. Yes "qualitative" modifier was the word I am looking for.
Re:Worms frozen in permafrost for up to 42,000 years come ba...
by pavel_lishin on Friday July 27, 2018 @10:31AM
(#17626226)
"erl" seems to be a purely quantitative diminutive, whereas "lein" seems to be more of a qualitative modifier, I guess?
Re:Worms frozen in permafrost for up to 42,000 years come ba...
by taejo on Friday July 27, 2018 @09:58AM
(#17625969)
It is the "-lein" in "Fräulein", but "-lein" isn't only for feminine nouns: the word "Männlein" also exists. I suspect "-erl" is the same, though I don't speak a dialect where it's used; some dialects have "-l" or "-li" which can also attach to any gender of noun (as in "Hansl" and "Gretl")
Re:Worms frozen in permafrost for up to 42,000 years come ba...
by pavel_lishin on Friday July 27, 2018 @10:11AM
(#17626073)
Awesome, thanks!