Minor Word-Formation Processes

Question 1

Describe and categorize abbreviation

Answer 1

1. Clipping
   Detachment or omission/clipping of one or more parts of the w-f base
2. final – the final part of the w-f base is detached
   info ← information, pro ← professional, Pam ← Pamela,
   taxi ← taxicab (← taximeter cab; cab ← cabriolet)
3. initial – the initial part of the w-f base is detached
   bus ← omnibus phone ← telephone burger ← hamburger

1.1.3. central – the central part of the w-f base is detached
fancy ← fantasy, specs ← spectacles vegan ← vegetarian (semantic shift)

1.1.4. mixed – both the initial and the final parts
of w-f base are detached fridge ← refridgerator flu ← influenza,
Trish ← Patricia (or Trisha/Tricia, Trixie, Pat, Patsy, Patti/Pattie/Patty)
Hypocorisms

1.2 Initialisms
Initial letters of the words of complex lexemes or sentences are merged to coin a new naming unit – spelled
WTO, BBC, CNN, HIV - /ˌeɪtʃ aɪ ˈviː/ - human immunodeficiency virus
DNA (selective)

1.3 Acronyms
Naming units are reduced to initial letters, but they represent sounds that form acceptable syllables – pronounced as words
NASA, RAM, AIDS /eɪdz/ - acquired immune deficiency syndrom, radar – radio detection and ranging (generic acronym)
LASER

1.4 Graphical abbreviation
1.4.1. Latin abbreviations
1.4.2. Conventional signs

Question 2

Describe back-formation

Answer 2

Deletion of a suffix or a supposed suffix from the base word – change of the word class. Contrary to final clipping this is a proper w-f process creating a new word.

Question 3

Give examples of back-formed verbs

Answer 3

Verbs back-formed from nouns
concrete - editx ← editor,
beg ← beggar (OF begart)
abstract - televise ← television,
reminisce ← reminiscence,
compound nouns - air-condition ← air-conditioning,
sightsee ← sightseeing

Verbs back-formed from adjectives
luminesce ← luminiscent, frivol ← frivolous,

Question 4

Describe blending and name its types

Answer 4

A part of one word and a part of another word are joined to produce a word which combines the meanings and sounds of the old ones

subordination blends
netizen ← net + citizen
weblish ← web + English

coordination blends
(dvandva – pair, Sanscr.)
geep ← goat + sheep

Question 5

What is lexical elipsis?

Answer 5

Leaving one or more words out of the source complex lexeme

combine ← combine(d) harverster

laptop ← laptop computer
(lap+top) + (comput+er) => laptop computer => laptop computer => laptop
pub ← public house (+ clipping)
general ← captain general

Question 6

Describe reduplication and its types

Answer 6

Combination of two phonetically identical or similar morphemes, often stylistically and emotionally marked
reduplicative compounds
blah-blah, quack-quack, pom-pom

ablaut combinations
chit-chat, mish-mash, shilly-shally

rhyme combinations
walkie-talkie |wɔːkɪˈtɔːki|,
super-duper,, popsy-wopsy

Question 7

Describe sound interchange

Answer 7

A change of the part of speech category by interchanging some of the sounds
central vowel mutation
blood /blʌd/→ bleed /bliːd/, food → feed, strike → stroke

nouns with voiceless consonant → verbs with voiced consonant belief /bɪˈliːf/→ believe /bɪˈliːv/, proof → prove, advice → advise bath /bɑːθ/→ bathe /beɪð/, breath→ breathe, life → live

Question 8

Describe shift of stress and sound imitation

Answer 8

Shift of stress
The position of word stress determines the meaning of the word.
´absent /ˈæbs(ə)nt/ – (to) ab´sent /æbˈsent/
´import – im´port
´produce – pro´duce

Sound imitation → 9 Imitation of natural sounds knock-knock, bow-wow, splash

Question 9

What is word manufacturing?

Answer 9

No support in existing language units (completely new material)

Kodak - /ˈkəʊdæk/
motivated by sound of the camera shutter
Nylon - New York + London???
nyl arbitrary
on motivated by suffixes of other fibers (cotton, rayon, dacron)

Question 10

What multiple processes can occur in one word?

Answer 10

compounding + conversion
snow + ball → (a) snowball → (to) snowball

acronymy + suffixation yuppify

clipping + compounding sci-fi

acronymy + compounding VAT return

acronymy + suffixation VATable

acronymy + suffixation + suffixation
unidentified flying object → UFO → ufo+logy → ufolog+ist

conversion + clipping + ellipsis
fac simile (facere simile „make similar“, Latin) → facsimile transmission → fax (to) fax

Question 11

What is sound and visual iconicity?

Answer 11

Sound iconicity
NRG /ˈenədʒi/, GR8 /ɡreɪt/, 4U
UR2K – You are too kind!; tu18r – Talk to you later
(sentential structural reduction)

number (visual) iconicity
Lee7 – leet (leetspeak language)
1457 – last (1-l, A-4, S-5, T-7)

HAND – Have a nice day! (backronym)