NOUN FEMININE AND DIMINUTIVE FORMS

 A. Noun Feminine Forms
English has a small clutch of nouns with feminine derivational suffixes. All but one of these feminizing suffixes (-ster) are of foreign origin. They have been added to a masculine form or to a base morpheme. Here is a list of most of them, with examples of the feminine nouns to which they have been attached and the corresponding masculine forms:

No.	Suffix	Masculine	Feminine
1	-e	Fiance	Fiancee
2	-enne	Comedian	Comedienne
3	-ess	Patron	Patroness
4	-etta	Henry	Henrietta
5	-ette	Usher	Usherette
6	-euse	Masseur	Masseuse
7	-ina	George	Georgina
8	-ine	Hero	Heroine
9	-ster	Spinner	Spinster
10	-stress	Seamster	Seamstress
11	-ix	Aviator	Aviatrix

 

B. Noun Diminutive Forms
It is a word or an ending of word that show the smallness thing and endearment. In English six diminutive suffixes can be found. These are morphemes which convey a meaning of smallness or endearment or both. They are the following:

Suffix –ie	Suffix –y
Auntie	Janey
Sweetie	Mickey
Jackie	Mikey
	Johnny
	Betty

Suffix	Diminutive Forms
-ette	Roomette, Dinette, Towelette
-kin, -ikin	Lambkin, Manikin
-kins	Babykins
-ling	Duckling, Darling
-let	Circlet
-et	Starlet, Booklet