Use of Diminutive Personal Names in the Georgian Formal Discourse

Abstract

In the given article we examine the usage of diminutive personal names within a formal/institutional discourse on the example of the Georgian
linguistic realm. We primarily focus on the current trend of using diminutive personal names in Georgian formal discourse. We will also try to Identify
the socio-linguistic causes of diminutive personal name usage within the Georgian formal discourse while comparing it with the same trends in other
languages. Another sphere of our focus will be the usage of the mentioned names by the Georgian politicians (including their nicknames), journalists
etc. as an objective indicator of their widespread utilization.
Two basic questions will be posed within our inquiry:
- Why the usage of diminutive personal names has become widespread in Georgian discourse?
- What is its psycho-linguistic underpinnings?
Keywords: diminutive, discourse, Georgian, discursive strategy