How can palatal sounds in Basque express smallness or affection?

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Basque language Extent of the Basque language area

In the Basque language, palatal sounds and hushing sibilants are frequently employed to convey diminutive or endearing meanings. This process involves replacing nonpalatal sounds with their palatal counterparts to signify smallness or affection.1

For example, the hushing sibilants x and tx (which sound like the English sh and ch) are used in this manner, as are the palatal sounds ll and ñ. This linguistic shift can be observed in the following pairs:1

hezur (bone) becomes hexur (little bone, such as a fish bone).1
sagu (mouse) becomes xagu (little mouse).1

By substituting these sounds, speakers can modify the nuance of a word to express a sense of endearment or to describe a smaller version of the object in question.1