a. and sb. [a. F. augmentatif, -ive (14th c.), f. L. augmentāt- ppl. stem of augmentāre to AUGMENT: see -IVE.]
A. adj.
1. Having the property of augmenting, increasing, or adding to; in Metaph. = AMPLIATIVE.
1502. Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W., 1506), I. vii. 28. Augmentatyf of grace and of benedyccyon.
1677. Gale, Crt. Gentiles, II. IV. 266. God … cannot fal under any mutation … augmentative or diminutive.
1857. T. Webb, Intell. Locke, vi. 113. Augmentative Judgments … add to our conception of the subject a predicate which is not contained in it.
1858. Marsh, Eng. Lang., v. 106. Words inflected in the weak or augmentative manner.
2. Gram. a. Of a formative suffix or prefix: Augmenting or increasing in force the idea conveyed by a word. b. Of a word: Augmenting the properties of the term whence it is derived, or generally expressing augmentation of an idea. (Augmentative words are generally formed by the addition of augmentative affixes.)
1641. R. Brooke, Eng. Episc., I. v. 19. The preposition In … in other compounds (as incipere, inflammare) … they call augmentative.
1711. J. Greenwood, Eng. Gram., 173. Augmentative Words, or such as encrease the Signification.
1848. Latham, Eng. Lang., IV. ii. 21. For the word wizard, from witch, see the Section on Augmentative forms.
B. sb. An augmentative formative or word.
1804. W. Taylor, in Ann. Rev., II. 632. Some nations have used the word bull as an augmentative.
1848. Latham, Eng. Lang., IV. xv. 287. Compared with capello = ‘a hat,’ the Italian word capellone = ‘a great hat’ is an Augmentative.
