Hypocoristic Formation in Gujarati
Abstract
This paper examines the morphology and phonology of hypocoristic formation in Gujarati, an Indo-Aryan language, within the framework of Optimality Theory and applying the Theory of Prosodic Morphology (McCarthy & Prince 1986). The intention of the speaker using a hypocoristic to address someone can range from affection to annoyance to even contempt or anger (Desai 1994). Consequently, there are different types of hypocoristic forms found in the language. Gujarati hypocoristics are formed through the truncation of a personal name, attaching a suffix to a personal name, or by attaching a suffix to a truncated personal name. These can be classified according to the suffix attached and the extent of truncation involved. The data shows that the hypocoristic formation process satisfies the Prosodic Morphology Hypothesis (McCarthy & Prince 1990) as the base is always a prosodic unit: a heavy syllable (CVC) or a prosodic word, thereby meeting the Template Satisfaction Condition.
Keywords
Gujarati, hypocoristic forms, truncation, nicknames, Optimality TheoryReferences
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