RULES OF WORD FORMATION AND MORPHOLOGICAL PROCESS
Word Formation Process – it is the process of building new words by means of existing
elements of language according to certain patterns and rules.
***TYPES OF WORD FORMATION PROCESS***
1. Coinage/Neologism– is the invention of total new words in language, in this process a
complete new word is added. The most typical source are invented trade names for commercial
products that become general terms
Examples:
Xerox – instead of photocopy
Zonrox
2. Folk Etymology – is the process by which the form of an unfamiliar or foreign word is
adapted into a more familiar form through popular usage.
Examples:
Asparagus (originally sparrowgrass from greek)
Burger (originally hamburg+er) but commonly understood as ham-burger
3. Borrowing/Loan Words - is the taking over of words from other languages
-Examples
(From French)- Ballet, Entrepreneur, Genre, Café, Lingerie
(From German)- Kindergarten, Waltz, Glitch
(From Spanish)- Guerilla, Macho, Patio, Plaza, Siesta
(From Japanese)- Karaoke, Karate, Ninja, Origami, Tsunami
(From Chinese)- Dim sum, Tofu, Kung Fu,
4. Compounding – is the joining of two separate words to produce a single form
-Examples for common English compound (noun) - doorknob, textbook
-Examples for adjective compound - good-looking, low-paid
-Examples for adjective + noun compound -fast-food, full-time
5. Blending – is the combination of two separate forms to produce a single new term
– Typically take the beginning of one word and join it to the end of the other word
-Examples:
a. smoke + fog = smog
b. motor + hotel = motel
6. Clipping – occurs when a word of more than one syllable is reduced to a shorter form
-Examples:
a. Gasoline – Gas
b. Influenza- Flu
7. Hypocorisms – it happens when a longer word is reduced to a single syllable, then (-y) or
(-ie) is added to the end
-Examples:
a. bookmarker – bookie
b. handkerchief – handkie
8. Backformation – the word of one type (usually a noun) is reduced to form a word of
another type (usually verb)
-Examples:
a. television (noun) -televise (verb)
b. babysitter - babysit
9. Conversion – in this process, we find change in the class of the word without changing the forms
of words.
- a noun can be used as an adjective, or an adjective can be used as a noun or verb.
- a grammatical unit can be used as a noun.
-Examples:
They dialed wrong number (noun-----verb)
They discussed he say (verb----noun)
Bolt bettered his own records (adj.----verb)
No ifs and buts please (grammatical unit---noun)
10. Acronyms – formed from initial letter of a set of other words
-Examples:
a. CD – Compact Disk
b. ATM – Automatic Teller Machine
c. USA- United States of America
11. Derivation – a word formation process by means of large number of small “bits” (affixes)
of English language that are not usually given separate listings in dictionaries
*Two Types of Affixes:
1. Prefixes- are words that are added to the beginning of words as in: un-, mis-, pre-
2. Suffixes- are words that are added to the end of the word as in: -ful, -less, -ish, -ism, -ness
-Some words may contain both prefixes and suffixes or more than one prefix or suffix. For
example:
-Disrespectful (both prefix and suffix)
-Foolishness (two suffixes -ish and -ness)
12. Multiple Processes – these are some words that employ more than one process at work
in the creation of a particular word
-Example:
a. 'unhappy' - formed by adding prefix 'un' into the word 'happy' (un+happy=unhappy).
13. Affixation- is a major morphological process used for coining new words.
Affixes divided into two types:
Prefixation: In this morphological process words are formed by adding an affix to the front of a root.
The type of affix used in this process is referred to as prefix. For example: un + tidy → untidy
Suffixation: In this morphological process words are formed by adding an affix to the end of a root. The
type of affix used in this process is referred to as suffix. For example: fear + less → fearless
14. Reduplication – it is the formation of new word by totally or partially doubling a word.
Repetition without Change : bye-bye, tick-tick
Rhyming Reduplication: ding-dong, super-duper, bow-wow
Repetition with Change of Vowel: tiptop, chitchat, flip-flop, ping-pong, dilly-dally, wishy-
washy
Repetition with Change of Initial Consonant: teeny-weeny
