Small Words, Big Picture

This study attempts to analyse the stylistic and cultural role of diminutives using examples from the short story collection The Last Wish by A. Sapkowski. With the rising popularity of the computer game series as well as the Netflix series based on The Witcher Saga, so rose the interest of the English-speaking world in the Slavic culture. The role of diminutives can present a serious linguistic and cultural barrier for any translator as they may or may not be present in the translator’s native tongue. Translating a text to a language in which diminutives play a significantly smaller role than in the original requires not only a robust lexical knowledge, but also the ability to express each of the four distinct functions of diminutives in an appropriate manner. The method chosen for this study involves compiling all the diminutives and hypocorisms from a given short story and comparing them with corresponding phrases chosen by the translator, as well as evaluating the techniques used and providing alternatives where applicable. The authors believe that a close look at the translation of diminutives will allow the public to fully appreciate the depth and nuance of meaning characterising the work steeped in Polish and Slavic tradition to such extent.