On the Affix /-U/ in Kermani

Language varieties are distinguished from each other in different phonetic, phonological, morpho-syntactic and lexical characteristics. Among the morphological features in Kermani, we can name the productive derivational suffix /–u/ which attaches to different lexical categories and forms a set of various meanings and functions. Although this affix has become less productive due to the spread of a standard variation, it is still widely used in this region. The concepts of diminution, intimacy, despise, abundance, ownership, metaphor, description and finiteness added to the base, specify the morphological features of this derivational formation. Being highly productive, this affix is able to form new lexical items by being attached to the existing structures. The aim of this article is to study different morphological, structural and semantic features of the derivational suffix /-u/ in Kermani variety based on the available and related oral and written texts such as proverbs and idioms, stories, and anecdotes.