College of Education, Al-Zulfi
Al-Majmaah University, Saudi Arabia
Subject:
Morphology
Topic:
Word Formation Processes
Compiled by:
Mohammad Seemab Khan
Lecturer in English
College of Education (Boys), Al-Zulfi
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Compiled by: Mohd. Seemab Khan
Word Formation Process
Morphology
Morphology : Word Formation Processes
Types of Word Formation
1. Coinage/Neologism
5. Clipping
9. Derivation
2. Borrowing
6. Backformation
10. Eponyms
3. Compounding
7. Conversion
11. Abbreviations
4. Blending
8. Acronyms
1. Coinage / Neologism
The term neologism derives from Greek: néos means new and logos means the word, while the suffix
{–ism} forms the noun. The whole term stands for innovation in language. Newly created words are
common in the world and thus widespread in all languages that grant us the possibility to express
ourselves. Furthermore language creativity offers the chance for a broad language variety. This
causes that neologisms are present in daily life - in spoken and written from.
This is also why they are most discussed in regard to word-formation processes. Dealing with the
topic of the development of neologisms it is remarkable that there is a variety of creative neologisms,
base forms and synonymous expressions.
In Germany Goethe introduced a form of creative neologism.
Neologisms are part of linguistics and they are closely connected to word-formation processes. The
techniques used in word-formation processes differ from the derivation and inflection processes talked
about in the topic of morphology.
Invention of totally new words - Extension of a name of a product from a specific reference to a more
general one, e.g. Kleenex, Xerox, and Kodak
2. Borrowing
Taking over of words from another language. English borrowed a lot of Latin and French words
Leak (Dutch) Barbecue (Spanish) Piano (Italian) Sofa (Arabic) Croissant (French) Yogurt (Turkish).
Arabic also borrowed a lot of words from English, e.g. television, radio, supermarket
3. Compounding
Two or more words joined together to form a new word. Examples:
Home + work = homework (N)
Pick + pocket = pickpocket (N)
Low + paid = low-paid (Adj)
Coconut oil - oil made from coconuts
Olive oil _ oil made from olives.
face + book = facebook
grand + mother = grandmother
basket + ball = basketball
sun + flower = sunflower
black + smith = blacksmith
gold + smith = goldsmith
sun + light = sunlight etc.
4. Blending
Similar to compounds, but in blending only parts of the words are combined. Examples:
Motor + hotel = Motel
Breakfast + lunch = Brunch
Smoke + fog = smog
Teleprinter + exchange = telex
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Compiled by: Mohd. Seemab Khan
Word Formation Process
Morphology
5. Clipping
Shortening a word by deleting one or more syllables. Examples:
Facsimile – fax
Professor - Prof.
alchemist – chemist
bicycle – bike
cleric – clerk
delicatessen – deli
fanatic – fan
hamburger – burger
limousine – limo
memorandum – memo
photograph – photo
public house – pub
refrigerator – fridge
submarine – sub
university – varsity
Hamburger – burger
Gasoline - gas
Doctor - Dr.
advertisement = ad
alligator – gator
automobile – auto
cabriolet – cab
chrysanthemum – mum
coeducational student – coed
dormitory – dorm
examination – exam
gasoline – gas
gymnasium – gym
influenza – flu
laboratory – lab
luncheon – lunch
mathematics – math
moving picture – movie
pantaloons – pants
pianoforte – piano
promenade – prom
raccoon – coon
referee – ref
reputation – rep
situation comedy – sitcom
telephone – phone
typographical error – typo
zoological garden – zoo
6. Backformation
Creative reduction due to incorrect morphological analysis. Examples:
editor - edit
television - televise
babysitter - babysit
Note: backformation always involve reduction (changing the form of the word)
7. Conversion
Assigning an already existing word to a new syntactic category. Examples:
butter (N) - V to butter the bread
empty (A) - V to empty the litter-bin
Microwave (N) - V
permit (V) - N an entry permit
must (V) - N doing the homework is a must
8. Acronyms
Words derived from the initials of several words: Examples:
National Aeronautics and Space Agency - NASA
United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund - UNICEF
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization - UNESCO
Compact Disc - CD
Other examples of Acronyms:
a) Radar - Radio detecting and ranging
b) FYI - For Your Information
c) TGIF - Thanks God It’s Friday
d) a.k.a - also known as
e) Html - Hypertext mark-up language
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Compiled by: Mohd. Seemab Khan
Word Formation Process
Morphology
f) www - World wide web
g) btw - By the way
h) ATM - Automatic Teller Machine
FAQ - Frequently asked questions
UNDP – United Nations Development Corporation
9. Derivation
The most common word formation process. Affixes. Examples:
-
Happy - unhappy, happiness
Arrange – rearrange
Legal illegal
Happy – happier – happiest
Complete – incomplete - completion
10. Eponyms
Eponyms are a word form by the word formation process in which a new word is formed from the
name of a real of fictitious person. For example:
-
atlas – Atlas
boycott – Charles C. Boycott
cardigan – James Thomas Brudnell, 7th Earl of Cardigan
cereal – Ceres
dunce – John Duns Scotus
guillotine – Joseph Ignace Guillotin
jacuzzi – Candido Jacuzzi
luddite – Ned Ludd
malapropism – Mrs. Malaprop
mesmerize – Franz Anton Mesmer
mirandize – Ernesto A. Miranda
narcissistic – Narcissus
nicotine – Jean Nicot
pasteurization – Louis Pasteur
poinsettia – Noel Roberts Poinsett
praline – César de Choiseul, Count Plessis–Praslin
sadistic – Marquis de Sade
salmonella – Daniel Elmer Salmon
sandwich – John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich
volcano – Vulcan
11. Abbreviations
Abbreviation is the word formation process in which a word or phrase is shortened. Initialisms are a
type of abbreviation formed by the initial letters of a word or phrase. Although abbreviation is largely a
convention of written language, sometimes abbreviations carry over into spoken language. For
example:
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Compiled by: Mohd. Seemab Khan
Word Formation Process
Morphology
Written Abbreviations
- Apr. – April
- kg – kilogram
- dept. – department
- Mr. – Mister
- yd – yard(s)
cm – centimeter(s)
hr – hour
Dr. – doctor
oz – ounce(s)
ml – millimeter
d. – died, died in
Jr. – Junior
Sun. – Sunday
Spoken-Written Abbreviations
- A.M. – ante meridiem [in the morning]
- B.C.E. – Before Common Era
- GOP – Grand Old Party (Republican Party)
- HIV – Human Immunodeficiency Virus
- i.e. – id est [that is]
- JFK – John Fitzgerald Kennedy
- OJ – orange juice
- PMS – premenstrual syndrome
- RSVP – répondez s'il vous plait
- VIP – very important person
Abbreviation is related to both the word formation processes of clipping and blending.
Compiled by:
(Mohammad Seemab Khan)
Lecturer in English,
College of Education, Al-Zulfi
Al-Majmaah University
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Compiled by: Mohd. Seemab Khan
Word Formation Process
Morphology