Word Formation

Front

What is word formation?

Back

Word formation is the process of creating new words or modifying existing words in a language through various methods such as derivation, compounding, and inflection.

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Define derivation in word formation.

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Derivation is the process of forming a new word by adding prefixes or suffixes to a base word, changing its meaning or grammatical category.

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What is a prefix? Give an example.

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A prefix is a group of letters added to the beginning of a word to modify its meaning. Example: 'un-' in 'unhappy'.

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What is a suffix? Give an example.

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A suffix is a group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning or grammatical function. Example: '-ness' in 'happiness'.

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What is compounding in word formation?

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Compounding is the process of combining two or more words to create a new word with a specific meaning, such as 'toothbrush' (tooth + brush).

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Define inflection in word formation.

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Inflection is the modification of a word to express different grammatical categories such as tense, mood, voice, aspect, person, number, gender, and case.

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What is a base word?

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A base word is a word that can stand alone and has meaning, to which prefixes or suffixes can be added to create new words.

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What does the term 'neologism' mean?

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A neologism is a newly coined word or expression that may be in the process of entering common use.

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Explain the concept of 'semantic change' in word formation.

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Semantic change refers to the process by which a word's meaning changes over time, which can affect its usage and formation.

Front

What is the difference between a root and a base word?

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A root is the most basic form of a word without any affixes, while a base word can be a root or a root with affixes.