Clint Jackson Baker wrote:
>> I've thought of French as an overlooked example for
>> the usage of reduplication, words like "bonbon" and
>> "prechi-precha". "Zizi" is a funny example too, but
>> it's a kids' word. Help me--I know there are other
>> good examples eluding me.
>
>
>Well, 'bonbon' is also a childish reduplication of the adjective
>'bon':good,
>turned into a standard word (hence the strange orthography of a n
followed >by a
>b), probably by candy sellers :))) . As for 'prechi-precha', I see it
as >one of
>those expressive reduplicated expressions found in all languages
(including
>English) and related to onomatopoeia like 'tic-tac', etc...
>
>Christophe.
I would agree with Christophe saying that this suffix reduplication has
a hypocoristic value, and is essentially found in affective words.
Compare :
"tonton" vs "oncle" 'uncle'
"tata" vs "tante" 'aunt'
"lolo" vs "lait" 'milk' (plural "lolos" means "boobs")
"mémé" vs "grand-mère" 'grand-mother'
"pépé" vs "grand-père" 'grand-father'
It is impressively productive with names :
Julien > Juju
Gérard > Gégé
Nicole > Coco
Sylvie > Vivie
And if I remember well, the famous Toto we find in every child-joke
comes from Christophe :)
If you're interested, there is someone in my university whose speciality
is precisely reduplication phenomenon in French, but I'm afraid it will
be only in French :(.
Julien