The term diminutive?

Greek Learning Greek
1

Hi.
When did the name diminutive start getting applied to the forms of nouns that we call diminutives?

Is it an ancient, Byzantine or post-Renaissance event?

Thanks

2

https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=diminutive

diminutive (adj.)
late 14c., in grammar, “expressing something small or little,” from Old French diminutif (14c.) and directly from Latin diminutivus, earlier deminutivus, from deminut-, past-participle stem of deminuere “lessen, diminish,” from de- “completely” (see de-) + minuere “make small” (from PIE root *mei- (2) “small”). Meaning “small, little, narrow, contracted” is from c. 1600.

As a noun, in grammar, late 14c., “derivative word denoting a small or inferior example of what is meant by the word it is derived from.”

And L&S:

dēmĭnūtīvus, a, um, adj. [deminuo, no. II. B.], in the later gramm. lang., diminutive: vox, Tert. Apol. 32: nomen, a diminutive, Don. p. 1744 P. sq.; in this sense often subst. dēminūtīvum, i, n., Diom. p. 312 P.; Prisc, p. 609 sq. et saep: verba (sorbillo from sorbeo, garrulo from garrio), id. p. 827 P.—Adv.: dēmĭnūtīve, as a diminutive: cymbia deminutive a cymba dicta, Macr. S. 5, 21 al.; al. diminutive.

Lewis, C. T., & Short, C. (1891). Harpers’ Latin Dictionary (p. 542). New York; Oxford: Harper & Brothers; Clarendon Press.

I tried to look at Dionysius Thrax for the Greek term, but unfortunately I could not find a Greek original. A translation I found did use the term “diminutive.” The translator often helpfully supplies the Greek original for the term he is translating, but not this time… Maybe someone else has a copy of it in the original?

3

Does the Latin word originally come from translating the Greek υποκοριστκος/υποκορισμος/υποκοριζομαι? A difficult word to translate rigidly…

EDIT: Barry, you added your question to your post after I saw it, but yes, the above is how Thrax and others (Aristotle!) referred to diminutives in Greek.

Not used as a technical term here in Aristophanes, but I assume that the technical term derives from this popular usage:

καὶ νὴ Δί᾽ εἰ λυπουμένην γ᾽ αἴσθοιτό με,
νηττάριον ἂν καὶ φάττιον ὑπεκορίζετο