Diminutives in Political Discourse – The Case of Serbian and Slovenian

Diminutives are well acknowledged for their contribution to the expressiveness of language, often adding layers of nuance and attitude to discourse. This paper draws comparisons between the use of diminutives in the ParlaMint-RS 4.0 (Serbian parliament) and ParlaMint-SI 4.0 (Slovenian parliament) corpora [1]. Our findings reveal a distinctive pattern within political discussions: the employment of diminutives, particularly when referring to entities other than the speaker (i.e., not in the first person), is almost invariably associated with a negative connotation or the intention to convey irony. This paper aims to underscore the significance of such linguistic nuances, highlighting how diminutives can subtly influence the tone and perceived intent of political discourse. Through the examination of verbal diminutives, we contribute to a deeper understanding of the use of language in political contexts.