Word Formation Processes

Marijana Dragaš, lecturer

 What is word formation?
• In linguistics, word formation is the creation of a
new word.
Making new words
• Coining: the creation of a completely new word
googol
nerd
jerk
• Adoption of brand names
kleenex
aspirin
xerox
band aid
goo·gol
[goo-gawl, -gol, -guhl] Show IPA
noun a number that is equal to 1 followed by 100 zeros and
expressed as 10 100 .
Origin:
1935–40; introduced by U.S. mathematician Edward Kasner
(1878–1955), whose nine-year-old nephew allegedly
invented it

Can be confused: goggle, Google, googol.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/googol
Onomatopoeia: the creation of new words based
on the sounds made by the things to which they
refer
cuckoo
buzz
hiss
meow
chirp
creak
 Completely new words

• Borrowing: this is the result of language contact. It produces

loan words (foreign words that become English words). There
are loan words from very early, but also recent ones coming
from different languages.

glasnost, perestroika Russian

karaoke, sushi Japanese
kindergarten, kaput, German
delicatessen, hamburger
bagel, kosher Yiddish
taco, tortilla, patio Spanish
déjà vu, cuisine, faux pas French
Affixation: this process consists on the addition of a
derivational affix (prefix or suffix) to an existing root.
writer (write + er)
kingdom (king + dom)
undo (un + do)
Clipping: this process consists on the abbreviation of a
long word
demonstration  demo
typographical error  typo
facsimile  fax
professional  pro
mathematics  math
Blending: the Reduplication: this process
combination of two creates a new word by
different words into repeating the same root
one by deleting part of sometimes with some change
the two words before in the second form.
uniting them. itsy-bitsy
breakfast + lunch  hanky-panky
brunch so-so
smoke + fog  smog mish-mash
web + log  blog
motor + hotel 
motel
Acronyms: this process forms words from the initials of a
group of words that designate one concept. Acronyms may
differ in spelling and pronunciation.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
NASA
North Atlantic Treaty Organization  NATO
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome  AIDS
self-contained underwater breathing apparatus 
scuba
National Basketball Association  NBA
Back-formation: this process is the opposite to the process
of affixation. With affixation we create a new word by
adding an affix; with back-formation we create a new word
by erasing an affix.
editor  edit
backformation  backform
resurrection  resurrect
self-destruction  self-destruct
 CONVERSION
Conversion: this process is also known as zero-derivation.
This process changes the part of speech and meaning of an
existing root without producing any change in
pronunciation or spelling and without adding any affix.
I need someone to come to the blackboard.
Is there a volunteer?
Someone has to volunteer.
Otherwise, I will volunteer someone.
• Conversion: this process is also • From Name to Verb
known as zero-derivation. This
process changes the part of Harpo  to Harpo
speech and meaning of an
existing root without producing
Houdini  to Houdini
any change in pronunciation or • From Adjective to Verb
spelling and without adding any
affix. dirty  to dirty
I need someone to come to the slow  to slow
blackboard.
• From Preposition to Verb
Is there a volunteer?
Someone has to volunteer. out  to out
Otherwise, I will volunteer
someone.
In some cases, conversion is accompanied by a change
in the stress pattern known as stress shift.
transpórt (V)  tránsport (N)
rewríte (V)  réwrite (N)
condúct (V)  cónduct (N)
subjéct (V)  súbject (N)
 COMPOUNDING
Compounding is a very productive word formation process
in English.
Compounding creates a new word, called a compound, by
combining two or more words.
A compound is a word made out of free forms. These
words may themselves be simple (a single morpheme) or
complex (formed by more than one morpheme).
blackboard (black + board)
red hot (red + hot)
typewriter (type + write-er)
mother-in-law (mother + in + law)
 COMPOUND NOUNS
• Noun + Noun • Verb + Noun
wallpaper breakwater
football crash pad
ice-cream kill joy
• Adjective + Noun • Preposition + Noun
blackboard downtown
highway underworld
fast-food afternoon
 Compound Adjectives
• Verb + Noun • Verb + Adjective (rare)
breakwater fail safe
crash pad • Preposition +
kill joy
Adjective
• Preposition + Noun over-ripe
downtown underfull
underworld overactive
afternoon
 Compound Verbs
• Noun + Verb • Verb + Verb
browbeat freeze dry
carbon date stir-fry
color code • Preposition + Verb
• Adjective + Verb over-achieve
double-book outperform
softland undercut
WORD FORMATION
WHAT KIND OF WORDS ARE THE BOLD ONES?
1.There are advertisements for the job in all local
newspapers
2.If you want to sell your house, why don't you advertise it on
the internet?
3.George Clooney looks so attractive!!
4.The announcement of their divorce surprised everyone
5.She has been actively involved in many human rights
campaigns
6.You must wait for the confirmation letter before paying the
bill
7.Come on! Think logically and don't make a fuss about it!
8.Obama is the most popular politician in the world
9.A lot of people say they aren't interested in politics
10.African American is more politically correct than black
 REFERENCES

http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.as
p?id=2996

www.quickmeme.com

www.kau.edu.sa/.../48869_Words%20and%20Word.