Word Formation Process Flashcards
(19 cards)
neologisms
A neologism is a new word or expression in a language, or a new meaning for an existing word or expression.
concatenative word formation process
two morphemes are ordered one after
another i.e. affixation and compounding (segmentation)
derivation
the origin of something, such as a word, from which another form has developed, or the new form itself
root
The most basic part of a derivative
types of affixes
prefix -> un- happy suffix -> eat -able (infix) -> abso -bloody- lutely nominal: V->N sing-er verbal: A->V sick -en adjectival: N->A rain -y adverbial: V->Adv. quick -ly
the notion of productivity
token frequency: how often is it used
type frequency: different form of derivation
hapax legomena: how many new word formations
blocking
phonological: freshish, friendlily
morphological: absurd-dom, king- ity
semantic: unsad, unhill, unpessimistic
lexical: length blocks longness
compounding
- edocentric compound (transparent)
- exocentric compound (intransparent)
- copulative compound
- appositional compound
- stress placement in compounds
endocentric compound (transparent)
modifier-head relationship
meaning can be easily retrieved
paper + bag = paperbag
exocentric compound (intransparent)
lexicalization
meaning is not as easily to retrieve
paper + back = paperback (kind of book)
copulative compound
meanings are summed up
bitter-sweet
sleep-walking
appositional compounds
two different descriptions
singer songwriter
stress placement in compounds
typically the first constituent of a compound is stressed
difference between compounds and phrases
conversion (or zero-derivation)
- beach (N) let us beach the boat
- dirty -> do not dirty yourself
- down (prep.) -> down a large pint of beer
shortening processes
-clipping (part of the word is cut away)
advertisement -> ad
examination -> exam
blend
two words blended together
breakfast + lunch = Brunch
Motor + Hotel = Motel
back-formation
New wordform that did not exist
Babysitters -> babysit
Burglars -> burgle
initialism (shortening)
acronym -> RADAR (Radio Detecting and Ranging
alphabetism -> pronounce each letter (DNA)
nonce-formation
is a lexeme created for a single occasion to solve an immediate problem of communication
