6 ms·

translates more like "bear animal" actually

• scandox 8y ago
  Tierchen is surely cuter than just Animal? Like maybe like critter or beastie?
  • zaarn 8y ago
    Yes. "Tier" would be an animal of sorts. "chen" is a common suffix for cutiefying something or indicate it's small (and adorable). "Tierchen" would be a cute animal, usually a small one too. The suffixes "-lein" und "-erl" function similarly but have been largely replaced in common german (though in southern germany, both are alive and well)
    • pavel_lishin 8y ago
      I assuem that's the "-lein" in "Fraulein"? Is "-erl" the masculine version?
      • taejo 8y ago
        It is the "-lein" in "Fräulein", but "-lein" isn't only for feminine nouns: the word "Männlein" also exists. I suspect "-erl" is the same, though I don't speak a dialect where it's used; some dialects have "-l" or "-li" which can also attach to any gender of noun (as in "Hansl" and "Gretl")
        • pavel_lishin 8y ago
          Awesome, thanks!
      • blensor 8y ago
        Hmm, interesting to try and pinpoint the difference between "lein" and "erl". I would say they are both diminutive but not exactly in the same way. erl ... would be more related to the actual size Sack -> Sackerl (bag -> small bag) Wagen -> Wagerl (cart -> small cart) lein ... would be more related to the inner size (sorry I can't frame this into words any better) Frau -> Fräulein (Woman -> Younger/Fragile woman (unmarried)) Wagen -> Wäglein (Cart -> smaller but also lesser cart) edit: referring to the answer of pavel_lishin. Yes "qualitative" modifier was the word I am looking for.
        • pavel_lishin 8y ago
          "erl" seems to be a purely quantitative diminutive, whereas "lein" seems to be more of a qualitative modifier, I guess?
    • sushimako 8y ago
      The linguistic term for what you are describing is "diminutive".