Derivation (linguistics)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In linguistics, derivation is the process of creating new lexemes from other lexemes, for
example, by adding a derivational affix. It is a kind of word formation.
Derivational affixes usually apply to words of one syntactic category and change them into
words of another syntactic category. For example, the English derivational suffix -ly changes
adjectives into adverbs (slow → slowly).
Some examples of English derivational suffixes:
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adjective-to-noun: -ness (slow → slowness)
adjective-to-verb: -ize (modern → modernize)
noun-to-adjective: -al (recreation → recreational)
noun-to-verb: -fy (glory → glorify)
verb-to-adjective: -able (drink → drinkable)
verb-to-noun: -ance (deliver → deliverance)
Derivational affixes do not necessarily modify the syntactic category; they can also modify
the meaning. For example, the derivational prefix un- applies to adjectives (healthy →
unhealthy), some verbs (do → undo), but rarely nouns. In many cases, derivational affixes
change both the syntactic category and the meaning: modern → modernize ("to make
modern").
Note that derivational affixes are bound morphemes. In that, derivation differs from
compounding, by which free morphemes are combined (lawsuit, Latin professor). It also
differs from inflection in that inflection does not change a word's syntactic category and
creates not new lexemes but new word forms (table → tables; open → opened).
Derivation may occur without any change of form, for example telephone (noun) and to
telephone. This is known as conversion. Some linguists consider that when a word's syntactic
category is changed without any change of form, a null morpheme is being affixed.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derivation_%28linguistics%29
What is derivation?
Definition
Derivation is the formation of a new word or inflectable stem from another word or stem. It
typically occurs by the addition of an affix.
The derived word is often of a different word class from the original. It may thus take the
inflectional affixes of the new word class.
In contrast to inflection, derivation
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
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is not obligatory
typically produces a greater change of meaning from the original form, and
is more likely to result in a form which has a somewhat idiosyncratic meaning.
often changes the grammatical category of a root.
Examples (English)
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Kindness is derived from kind.
Joyful is derived from joy.
Amazement is derived from amaze.
Speaker is derived from speak.
National is derived from nation.
Characteristics
Derivational operations
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tend to be idiosyncratic and non-productive
do not occur in well-defined 'paradigms,' and
are 'optional' insofar as they
o shape the basic semantic content of roots and
are not governed by some other syntactic operation or element.
Kinds
Phonological derivation:
Definition
A phonological derivation is the set of stages used to generate the phonetic representation of a
word from its underlying representation.
Discussion
Here is a diagram of the stages in a derivation. Phonological rules influence each stage of a
derivation:
Examples (English)
Here are some examples of the derivations of words having the negative prefix /In/:
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Here are some kinds of derivational operations:

Operations that change the grammatical category of a root
Example: Nominalization (English)
Verbs and adjectives can be turned into nouns: amaze >amazement, speak >speaker,
perform >performance, soft >softness, warm >warmth

Operations that change the valence (transitivity) of a root
Example: Causation (Swahili)
kula 'to eat' > kulisha, 'to feed'
What is a morphological process?
Definition
A morphological process is a means of changing a stem to adjust its meaning to fit its
syntactic and communicational context.
Discussion
Most languages that are agglutinative in any way use suffixation. Some of these languages
also use prefixation and infixation. Very few languages use only prefixation, and none employ
only infixation or any of the other types of morphological processes listed below.
Kinds
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affixation
prefixation
suffixation
circumfixation
infixation
modification
reduplication
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Affixation
Affixation is the morphological process whereby an affix is attached to a root or stem.
Example (English)
In English, the plural morpheme suffix is added to job, rat, and kiss to form the following
forms:
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jobs
rats
kisses
Prefixation
Prefixation is a morphological process whereby a bound morpheme is attached to the front of
a root or stem.
The kind of affix involved in this process is called a prefix.
Example (English)
The prefix un- attaches to the front of the stem selfish to form the word unselfish.
Suffixation
Suffixation is a morphological process whereby a bound morpheme is attached to the end of a
stem.
The kind of affix involved in this process is called a suffix.
Example (English)
The past tense suffix -ed attaches to the end of the stem walk to form the past tense verb
walked.
Circumfixation
Circumfixation is a morphological process whereby an affix made up of two separate parts
surrounds and attaches to a root or stem.
Modification
Modification is a morphological process which produces an alteration within a root or stem.
Example (English)
 The root man is modified when it it undergoes the pluralization that results in the
form men.
Kinds
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Subtraction
Suppletion
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Reduplication
Reduplication is a morphological process in which a rootor stem or part of it is repeated.
Example (Ilocano, Philippines)
Singular
pingan 'dish'
Plural
pingpingan 'dishes'
talon 'field'
taltalon 'fields'
Suppletion
Suppletion is the replacement of one stem with another, resulting in an allomorph of a
morpheme which has no phonological similarity to the other allomorphs.
Example (English)

The following table illustrates stem suppletion:
Morphological
process
Addition of past
tense suffix
Addition of
comparative or
superlative suffix

Regular,
nonsuppletive
stem
walk—walked
Suppletive stem
go—went
big—bigger—
biggest
good—better—
best
The following table illustrates affix suppletion:
Morphological
process
Addition of plural
suffix
Regular,
nonsuppletive
affix
cat—cats
Suppletive affix
cherub—cherubim
ox —oxen
Kinds
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Stem suppletion
Affix suppletion
SOURCE: Webpage of the Summer Institute of Linguistics
http://www.sil.org/linguistics/GlossaryOflinguisticTerms/WhatIsDerivation.htm
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