Quiz 1 Terms: Recall only Flashcards
The origin and analysis of a word as shown by breaking it down into its constituent historical elements.
etymology
The explanation or description of what a thing is; or what a word or phrase means or has meant.
definition
The central element of a word which is left after the removal of all affixes.
root / base
A collective term for prefixes, suffixes, and infixes.
affix
One or more letters or syllables placed at the beginning of a word to modify its meaning.
prefix
The process by which adjacent sounds (usually consonants) acquire similar or identical characteristics.
assimilation
The tendency toward greater ease of pronunciation resulting in combinative changes, largely due to speed and economy of utterance.
euphony
A change in the internal vowel of a base, often when the base is prefixed.
vowel gradation
An abbreviation that spells a word or pronounceable unit.
acronym
Two or more words in different languages which have the same root.
cognate(s)
Two words of the same language which are derived from the same original word.
doublet(s)
A word borrowed from another word or root, usually belonging to another language.
derivative
