Diminutives in Translation

Study of the Latvian translation of the film “Ratatouille” and two different translations of K.Grahame’s children’s novel “The Wind in the Willows” revealed a very rich use of diminutives. To determine the cause for the use of diminutives in Latvian translation, similarities and differences between English and Latvian languages were analyzed. Special attention was paid to children’s literature and its position in literary polysystem as possible source of diminutives. Translation theories and approaches were also examined to justify the appearance of diminutives in the translations, especially when they did not exist in the source text.