SPANISH DIMINUTIVES: -ITO

 

The Spanish suffix -ito, like the Engish -let, denotes smallness, pig, piglet; drop, droplet; vaso, vasito; ojo, ojito; mano, manita; libro, librito; and also adds an affectionate touch. In Spanish it is a euphemism, softening -or at least trying to lessen- the original meaning. If a person is fat, gordo, we would try to soften the gordura by using the affectionate suffix -ito: "Carla es gordita", and, presto, possible offensive connotations disappear. In Spain, Blacks are negritos and seldom plain negros, because people believe, erroneously, that negro is offensive. A man is never calvo or baldheaded but calvito; a woman would never be tonta but tontita, which is almost an endearing way of being a fool. Delgadito, bajito, cojito are nice ways to describe thin, short, and lame people. 

An example: "El cieguito de mi called, que es calvito, casado con una gordita cojita de Perú, tiene un hijo que parece tontito pero que no lo es." This -ito business certainy suggars the pill, doesn't it?