Neologisms and Word Formation

Question 1

Coinage/Neologism

Answer 1

• The creation of a new word. E.g. widget, hobbit and peng.

Question 2

Borrowing / loan words

Answer 2

• Borrowing of words/concepts from other languages.
• These words can be ‘anglicised’ or they can be same.
• E.g. ‘bungalow, hamburger, saga’

Question 3

Compounding

Answer 3

• Words combined together to form new words.
• Can be open, hyphenated or solid.
• E.g. ‘user-friendly, long winded and handheld’

Question 4

Clipping

Answer 4

• Words are shortened and the shortened form becomes norm.
• E.g. ‘gym, bus, deli, phone’

Question 5

Blending

Answer 5

• Combining clipping and compounding.
• Words are abbreviated and joined together to form a new word.
• E.g. Newscast news + broadcast, internet, international + network.

Question 6

Acronym

Answer 6

• First letters are taken from a series of words to create a new term.
• It is pronounced all together.
• E.g. ‘AIDS, NATO’

Question 7

Initialism

Answer 7

• Acronym but each letter is pronounced.
• E.g. ‘HIV, CD, MP3, PC, OMG’

Question 8

Affixation

Answer 8

• One or more free morphemes are combined with one or more bound morphemes
• E.g. Disinterest regift, marketeer

Question 9

Conversion/Functional shift

Answer 9

• A word shifts from one word class to another: usually from a noun to a verb.
• E.g. Text, Network Google.

Question 10

Eponym

Answer 10

• Names of a person or company used to define particular objects.
• Often inventors or distributors of the object.
• Examples: Sandwich, Boycott, Silhouette)

Question 11

Back formation

Answer 11

• Verb created from an existing noun by removing a suffix
• E.g. surveillance - to surveil, location - to locate.