Chapter 5

Question 1

Etymology

Answer 1

The study of the origin and history of words (e.g. am,amore,amicable,enamored)

Question 2

Neologism

Answer 2

A new word (e.g. hoover)

Question 3

Borrowing

Answer 3

The process of taking words from other languages (e.g. dope, lilac)

Question 4

Calque

Answer 4

A type of borrowing in which each element of a word is translated into the borrowing language (e.g. gratte-ciel “scrape sky” for skyscraper)

Question 5

Loan-translation

Answer 5

A type of borrowing in which each element of a word is translated into the borrowing language, also called calque

Question 6

Blending

Answer 6

The process of combining the beginning of one word and the end of another to form a new word (e.g. brunch from breakfast and lunch)

Question 7

Compounding

Answer 7

The process of combining two (or more) words to form a new word (e.g. waterbed)

Question 8

Backformation

Answer 8

The process of reducing a word such as a noun to a shorter version and using it as a new word such as a verb (e.g. babysit from babysitter)

Question 9

Clipping

Answer 9

The process of reducing a word of more than one syllable to a shorter form (e.g. ad from advertisement)

Question 10

Hypocorism

Answer 10

A word-formation process in which a longer word is reduced to a shorter form with -y or -ie at the end of it (e.g. telly, movie)

Question 11

Acronym

Answer 11

A new word formed from the initial letters of other words (e.g. NASA)

Question 12

Conversion

Answer 12

The process of changing the function of a word, such as a noun to a verb, as a way of forming new words, also known as “category change” or “functional shift” (e.g. vacation in They’re vacationing in Florida)

Question 13

Coinage

Answer 13

The invention of new words (e.g. xerox)

Question 14

Eponym

Answer 14

A word derived from the name of a person or place (e.g. sandwich)

Question 15

Affix

Answer 15

A bound morpheme such as un- or -ed added to a word (e.g. undressed)

Question 16

Derivation

Answer 16

The process of forming new words by adding affixes

Question 17

Infix

Answer 17

A morpheme that is inserted in the middle of a word (e.g. bloody in “hallebloddylujah!”)

Question 18

Suffix

Answer 18

A bound morpheme added to the end of the word (e.g. fainted, illness)

Question 19

Prefix

Answer 19

A bound morpheme added to the beginning of the word (e.g. unhappy)

Question 20

Analogy

Answer 20

A process of forming a new word to be similar in some way to an existing word (e.g. yuppie from hippie and yippie)