Throughout football writing, journalism and commentary, you hear the occasional, but recurring, adjective/phrase that seems ‘out of place’. Words that have no place in the vocabulary of your average football fan. Yet, they only ever seem to crop up in reference to football.

We’re not talking about ‘dominant’ or ’slide rule pass’ here – but the more eloquent adjectives, the descriptive words that you hear and think you understand, but probably don’t know the actual meaning of.

At Footballsup, we aim to widen your vocabulary and increase your understanding. The second in our series:

di⋅min⋅u⋅tive

[di-min-yuh-tiv]

Common Usage:

The diminutive Gianfranco Zola

Played in by the diminutive striker

Footballing synonyms: Compact, Pint-sized, Pocket-sized, Short, Slight, Squat, Stocky

Full Definition:

-adjective
1.     small; little; tiny: a diminutive building for a model-train layout.
2.     Grammar. pertaining to or productive of a form denoting smallness, familiarity, affection, or triviality, as the suffix -let, in droplet from drop.

–noun
3.     a small thing or person.
4.     Grammar. a diminutive element or formation.
5.     Heraldry. a charge, as an ordinary, smaller in length or breadth than the usual.

Origin:
1350–1400; ME < ML dīminūtīvus, equiv. to L dīminūt(us) lessened (for dēminūtus; see diminution ) + -īvus -ive

So, diminutive: short, compact, pint-sized, often stocky (mainly because short players need to be).
Most often used in reference to strikers – Zola, Tevez, Defoe – largely because that’s the easiest position to get away with a lack of height. But, think also Paul Parker, Alan Wright, Lassan Diarra… The players who filled all dwarves with a sense of what could be.