11.4: §79. Turning Diminutive Nouns into Verbs
By way of a postscript to this chapter, notice how Latin could make denominative verbs out of the “little” nouns that we met in Chapter 7 (§52, §53, §54, §56). Once forma (“shape”) had been diminished to formula (“little shape”), there could be a verb formul-are , formulatus —whence English formulate and formulation . Similarly, circulus ( < circus ) produced circul-are , circul-atus , English circ ulate and circulation . From unda (“wave”) came the diminutive undula (“little wave”); to undulate is “to make little waves”—a synonym of fluctuate . Examine this progression: calx , calc-is (“stone”) > calc-ulus (“little stone”) > verb calcul-are , calcul-atus > noun calculat-io > E calculation . If we are to analyse calculation , we should identify and explain each of the elements in calc-ul-at-io . Here is an analysis of capitulation : < L. capitulatio : capit – ( caput , “head”) + – ul – (diminutive suffix) + – at – (perfect participle of denominative verb capitulare ) + – io (noun suffix).