Word-Formation Flashcards
Word-formation
process of coining new language units
Classification of word-formation
Major, Minor
Major processes
compounding
affixation
conversion
Minor processes
abbrevation
blending
back-formation
Compounding
combining two or more root morphemes
1. Coordinate and subordinate compounds
2. Exocentric and endocentric compounds
3. Germanic and French type compounds
Coordinate and Subordinate compounds
Coordinate have equal status (deaf-mute)
Subordinate one determines the other (blackboard)
Endocentric and exocentric compounds
Endocentric both words belong to the same word category (football, foot and ball = nouns)
Exocentric words of different word category (snow-white)
Germanic and French compounds
Germanic determinant preceds the determinantum (bedroom)
French determinant is preceded by determinantum (spendthrift)
Conversion
Major word-formation process
Changing category of a word (brake - to brake)
Affixation
Major word-formation process
creating new words by adding affixes to them (prefix,sufix,infix)
Blending
Minor word-formation process
Two stage process:
1. At least one word is shortened
2. They are compounded together
(autocide, automobile + suicide)
Back-formation
Minor word-formation process
coining new word from complex one by making it simpler (beggar-beg)
Abbrevation
Minor word-formation process
They function as synonymous shortened forms of their full unabbreviated counterparts
1. Non-Lexicalized
2. Lexicalized
Non-lexicalized abbrevations
used only in written speech for example liters - l
or initialism (DVD)
numeronyms (w3c - world wide web)
Lexicalized
it’s represented by clipping, meaning the initial part of the original word is detached e.g telephone - phone
