Word Formation

Word formation refers to the processes through which new words are created in English. Understanding these processes helps in expanding vocabulary and grasping the structure of English.

Types of Word Formation#

Affixation#

• Adding prefixes, suffixes, infixes (inserted into the middle of a word), and circumfixes (added around a word) to alter a word’s meaning or function.
  • Examples:
    • Prefix: prefix
    • Suffix: teacher
    • Infix: not common in English, but an example can be fanbloodytastic in colloquial speech.

Compounding#

• Combining two or more words to form a new word.
  • Examples: toothpaste (tooth + paste), basketball (basket + ball), blackboard (black + board).

Conversion (or Zero Derivation)#

• Changing the word class without altering its form.
  • Examples:
    • Noun to Verb: Google (noun) → to Google (verb)
    • Verb to Noun: to run (verb) → a run (noun)
    • Adjective to Noun: calm (adjective) → calm (noun)

Blending#

• Merging parts of two words to form a new word.
  • Examples:
    • brunch (breakfast + lunch)
    • motel (motor + hotel)
    • smog (smoke + fog)

Clipping#

• Shortening a longer word by cutting off part of it.
  • Examples:
    • advertisement → ad
    • laboratory → lab
    • influenza → flu

Acronyms and Initialisms#

• Acronyms: Formed from the initial letters of a phrase and pronounced as a word.
  • Examples: NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), radar (radio detection and ranging).
• Initialisms: Formed from the initial letters of a phrase but pronounced as individual letters.
  • Examples: BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation).

Back-formation#

• Creating a new word by removing a perceived affix from an existing word.
  • Examples:
    • editor → edit
    • burglar → burgle

Loanwords#

• Words borrowed from other languages.
  • Examples:
    • piano (Italian)
    • tsunami (Japanese)
    • algebra (Arabic)

Reduplication#

• Forming a word by repeating a syllable or sound.
  • Examples:
    • itsy-bitsy
    • hodgepodge
    • zigzag

Onomatopoeia#

• Words that phonetically imitate the sound they describe.
  • Examples:
    • buzz
    • clang
    • sizzle

Coinage (or Neologism)#

• Creating entirely new words.
  • Examples:
    • Kodak (brand name)
    • Google (initially a brand name, now a verb)

Eponyms#

• Words derived from the names of people or places.
  • Examples:
    • sandwich (from the Earl of Sandwich)
    • fahrenheit (from Gabriel Fahrenheit)

Portmanteau#

• Combining parts of two words to form a new one, similar to blending but often involving more than just the beginning and end of words.
  • Examples:
    • spork (spoon + fork)
    • brunch (breakfast + lunch)