Polski — Augmentatives
Augmentatives (zgrubienia) enlarge a noun and usually add a pejorative or coarse tone. They are built with suffixes such as -sko, -isko/-ysko and -al: pies → psisko, nos → nochal, chłop → chłopisko.
How it works
The augmentative suffix replaces the noun's ending and often forces a consonant change in the stem. The most productive suffix is -isko/-ysko (chłop → chłopisko, kot → kocisko); -sko attaches directly (pies → psisko); -al is limited to a few words (nos → nochal). Neuter -isko forms usually take neuter agreement, even from masculine or feminine bases: to wielkie psisko.
Examples
| Base | Augmentative | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| pies | psisko | big or scruffy dog (-sko) |
| chłop | chłopisko | big, hearty fellow (-isko) |
| nos | nochal | big nose, schnozz (-al) |
| kot | kocisko | big cat (-isko, t → c) |
| dom | domisko | huge, ungainly house (-isko) |
| baba | babsko | coarse woman, hag (-sko, pejorative) |
Good to know
Augmentatives are emotionally charged, not neutral: psisko can be scornful or warmly familiar depending on tone, so avoid them in formal writing. Note too that not every -isko/-sko word is augmentative — boisko (playing field) and lotnisko (airport) are plain nouns, and the same suffix marks place. Do not read them as "big field" or "big flight."