Pejorative Suffix

A pejorative suffix is a suffix that attaches a negative meaning to the word or word-stem preceding it. There is frequent overlap between this and the diminutive form.

The pejorative suffix may add the sense of "a despicable example of the preceding," as in Spanish ''-ejo'' (see below). It can also convey the sense of "a despicable human having the preceding characteristic"; for instance, as in English ''-el'' (see below) or the development of the word ''cuckold'' from Old French ''cocu'' "cuckoo" + ''-ald'', taken into Anglo-Saxon as ''cokewald'' and thus to the modern English word.

Examples

Catalan

The Catalan language has pejorative suffixes.

* -alla -alles Suffixed to nouns gives new nouns. Examples: ''gentalla'' (from ''gent'' "people"). It's also used as a collective (group) suffix.
* -arro -arros (fem. -arra -arras) Suffixed to nouns gives new nouns. Example: ''veuarra'' (from ''veu'' "voice"). It's also used as an augmentative suffix.
* -astre -astres (fem. -astra -astres) Suffixed to nouns gives new nouns. Example: ''poetastra'' (from ''poeta'' "poet"). This suffix has also the meaning "indirect relation with".
* -ot -ots (fem. -ota -otes) Suffixed to nouns gives new nouns. Example: ''sabatot'' (from ''sabata'' "shoe"). Suffixed to adjectives gives new adjectives. Example: ''lletjot'' (from ''lleig'' "ugly"). As a suffix it also means "object", giving a lexicalized word.

Chinese

The Chinese language has pejorative suffixes.

* -屄 (or commonly 逼) bī (profanity), e.g. 二逼èrbī"dullard" (from 二 èr, which means "dull" in some dialects), 傻逼 shǎbī "fool" (from 傻 shǎ "foolish"), 骚逼 sāobī "bitch" (from 骚sāo "coquettish")
* -婊 biǎo, e.g. 绿茶婊 lǜchábiǎo (used to describe a lascivious girl who pretends to be innocent, from 绿茶 lǜchá "green tea", which symbolizes innocence)

NOTE: this suffix is from the word 婊子 biǎozi "prostitute", so at first word suffixed with 婊 were used to describe only women, but recently it can be used to describe both men and women, for example, 圣母婊 shèngmǔbiǎo, which means people who pretend to be as merciful as goddesses on the Internet, from 圣母shèngmǔ"goddess"

* -棍 gùn, e.g.淫棍 yíngùn" lewdster"(from 淫 yín "lewd"), 恶棍 ègùn "bad guy", (from 恶 è "evil")
* -鬼 guǐ, e.g. 色鬼 sèguǐ" lewdster"(from 色 sè "lewd"), 醉鬼 zuìguǐ "drunkard" (from 醉 zuì "drunk")
* -货 huò , e.g. 贱货 jiànhuò "contemptible wretch" (from 贱 jiàn "contemptible"), 饿货 èhuò "hungry guy" (from 饿 è "hungry")

English

* , e.g. ''coward'', ''dullard'', ''sluggard'', ''drunkard'' (via Old French)
* , e.g. ''Paultard'', ''conspiratard'', "Trumptard", ''libtard''—a productive libfix abstracted from ''retard'', perhaps influenced by the similar non-productive suffix ''-ard''
* , e.g. ''poetaster'', ''philosophaster'' (via Latin)
* , e.g. ''hipster'', ''oldster'' (via Old English)
* , e.g. ''peacenik'', ''neatnik'', ''beatnik'' (via Yiddish or Russian, where it is not necessarily pejorative)
* , e.g. ''mongrel'', ''wastrel'' (from Middle English, from Old French)

Esperanto

* , e.g. ''veteraĉo'' "foul weather" (from ''vetero'' "weather"), ''domaĉo'' "hovel" (from ''domo'' "house"), ''hundaĉo'' "cur" (from ''hundo'' "dog")

Hawaiian

* -ā (-wā), e.g. ''lonoā'' "gossip" (from ''lono'' "news")
* -ea, e.g. ''poluea'' "seasickness" (from ''polu'' "wet")

Italian

* -accio(a) (or -uccio/a), e.g. ''boccaccia'' "ugly mug" (from ''bocca'' "mouth")

Japanese

* -め (-me), e.g. 「化け物め」 (''bakemono-me'') "That damn monster!" or 「可愛いやつめ」(''kawaii yatsu-me'') "That darn cutie!"

Latin

* -aster, denoting fraudulent resemblance, e.g. ''patraster'' "one who plays the father" (from ''pater'' "father")

Ojibwe (Anishinaabemowin)

* -ish, e.g. ''animosh'' "dog"

Portuguese

* -eco, e.g. ''jornaleco'' "low-quality newspaper" (from ''jornal'' "newspaper")
* -inho, e.g. ''juizinho'' "bad judge" (from ''juiz'' "judge")

Provençal

* -asso, e.g. ''vidasso'' "wretched life" (from ''vido'' "life")

Russian

* -iška (ишка)
* -uxa (уха), pejorative for non-personal nouns, e.g. '' černuxa'', dramatic term for an unrelentingly bleak cinematic style (from ''čern-'' "black")
* -jaga (яга), pejorative for persons, e.g. ''skuperdjaga'' (miser or skinflint), ''skromnjaga'' (excessively modest person), '' stiljaga'' (style-hunter, hipster), ''dokhodjaga'' (goner, said of Kolyma labor-camp prisoners nearing death)

Spanish

* -aco(a), e.g., ''pajarraco'' "large ugly bird" (from ''pájaro'' "bird), ''negraco'' "nigger" (from ''negro'' "black"), ''moraco'' "raghead" (from ''moro'' "Moor").
* -ejo(a), e.g., ''lugarejo'' "podunk town" (from ''lugar'' "place") and ''librejo'' "worthless book" (from ''libro'' "book"); however, -ejo can also show endearment, as in '' festejo''.
* -illo(a), e.g., ''cantantillo'' "bad (unknown) singer (from ''cantante'' "singer"), ''pistolilla'' (from ''pistola'' "gun"), ''cancioncilla'' (from ''canción'' "song").
* -on(a), e.g. ''larguchón'' "large guy" (from ''largo'' "long"), ''simplon'' (simpleton), ''payasón'' "annoying guy" (from ''payaso'', clown); like the suffix -ejo, can also be used for endearment, as in ''fiestón'', big party.
* -ote(a), e.g., ''discursote'' "long dull speech" (from ''discurso'' "speech")(used mostly as an augmentative)
* -ucho (a), e.g., ''casucha'' "hovel" (from ''casa'' "house")
* -zuelo (a), e.g., ''mujerzuela'' "whore" (from ''mujer'' "woman")

References

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Grammar
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