Morphology Flashcards
What is affixation?
The process of adding an affix (a prefix, suffix, infix, or circumfix) to a base word to change its meaning or function.
Example: “do” becomes “undo” with the prefix.
Define abbreviation.
The shortening of a word or phrase by removing letters or syllables.
Example: “Doctor” becomes “Dr”.
What is shortening?
The process of making a word or phrase shorter.
Example: “Telephone” becomes “phone.”
Explain compounding.
The process of combining two or more words to form a new word with a unique meaning.
Example: “Tooth” + “brush” = “toothbrush.”
What is blending?
The process of combining parts of two or more words to create a new word.
Example: “Breakfast” + “lunch” = “brunch.”
Define backformation.
The process of creating a new word by removing a suffix or prefix from an existing word.
Example: “Editor” becomes “edit.”
What does conversion of word class mean?
The process of changing the word class of a word without altering its form.
Example: “Email” (noun) becomes “to email” (verb).
What is an initialism?
A type of abbreviation formed by taking the first letter of each word in a phrase or title and pronouncing each letter separately.
Example: “FBI” stands for “Federal Bureau of Investigation.”
Define acronym.
A type of abbreviation formed by taking the first letter of each word in a phrase and creating a new word, pronounced as a single term.
Example: “NASA” stands for “National Aeronautics and Space Administration.”
What is a contraction?
A shortened form of a word or group of words, created by combining them and omitting certain letters, often replaced with an apostrophe.
Example: “I am” becomes “I’m.”
What does hypocoristic use of suffixes refer to?
The formation of affectionate or diminutive forms of names or words by adding specific suffixes.
Example: Adding “-y” or “-ie” to a name.
