{{Short description|Terms conveying positivity}} {{Wiktionary|laudative}} '''Laudatives''' (from Latin ''laudare'' "to praise") are words or grammatical forms that denote a positive affect. That is, they express praise or approval on the part of the speaker.
The Spanish augmentative suffix ''-azo'' has laudative uses, such as ''cuerp'''azo''''' "great body", though it also has pejorative uses such as ''cabron'''azo''''' "major asshole."
Mansi has a suffix ''-ke'' that functions as both a diminutive and a laudative, as in ''saali'''ke''''' "good little reindeer", ''low'''ke''' X'' "ten good X", ''toti'''ke''''' "he carries (it) with pleasure".<ref>Martin Haspelmath, ed. (2001) ''Language Typology and Language Universals'', vol. 1, p. 675.</ref>
Laudatory words are rare in English compared to pejorative ones,{{citation needed|date=August 2024}} though there are a few, such as "steed" for a fine horse. More common is laudative use of metaphor, such as calling a helpful person a "saint" or fine food "ambrosia". Intonation may convey a laudative affect, as in "What a house!" said with an air of wonder.
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Category:Linguistics Category:Figures of speech Category:Etymology