The drumper went on drumping until the drumperism lets him get drumpish.Every time we can form new words with the help of word formation processes. There are many different processes which lead to many different new words. But how can we form such new words? The sentenceThe drumper went on drumping until the drumperism lets him get drumpishconsists of four new or unknown words. I formed these words with the help of a very productive word formation process, called 'derivation'. But what does 'productive' actually mean? Productive in the content of word formation processes means that these processes are responsible for the large part of neologisms (Kortmann 1999: 58). Productive may be also described as “a pattern, meaning that when occasion demands, the pattern may be used as a model for new items.” (Adams 1973: 197). Some processes are more productive than others. This research paper deals with the most productive word formation processes of the English language, namely 'derivation', which includes 'prefixation', 'suffixation' and 'infixation', 'compounding' and 'conversion'. The word formation process 'back formation' is regarded as a borderline case, i.e. it can be counted as a member of the most productive word formation processes or as a member of the so called secondary word formation processes (Schmid 2005: 87). Because of the relation between compounding, especially compound verbs, and back formation I will treat the process in this research paper too.
After an introduction of some basic morphological terms as well as a definition of the term 'word formation' I will present the different stages a new formed word has to pass until it can be regarded as a member of the vocabulary because not every new formed word will become established. Afterwards, in the main part of this research paper, I will present these most productive word formation processes named above and give suitable examples in each case. Finally the term 'blocking' will be introduced, i.e. there are some words which just cannot be formed because there is already another word which carries the appropriate meaning and thus 'blocks' the new word (Schmid 2005: 117). In the conclusion I will give an outlook for the secondary word formation processes and a review of words which are included in the dictionary newly.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Morphology
2.1. Some Basic Terms
2.2. Word Formation Processes – Some Definitions
3. Stages of Establishing – Nonce Formation, Institutionalization, Lexicalization
4. Primary Word Formation Processes
4.1. Derivation
4.1.1. Prefixation
4.1.2. Suffixation
4.1.3. Infixation
4.2. Compounding
4.2.1. Compound Nouns
4.2.2. Compound Verbs
4.2.3. Compound Adjectives
4.2.4. Neo-classical Compounds
4.3. Conversion
4.3.1. Conversion as a Result of Word Formation
4.3.2. Conversion as a Syntactic Process
4.4. Back Formation
5. Blocking – Restrictions on Productivity
6. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This research paper aims to examine the most productive word formation processes in the English language, analyzing how new lexemes are created, established, and sometimes restricted. It addresses the fundamental mechanisms of morphological change by exploring the theoretical framework of word formation and the specific patterns that contribute to the continuous expansion of the English vocabulary.
- Examination of primary word formation processes including derivation, compounding, and conversion.
- Analysis of the stages of linguistic establishing: nonce formation, institutionalization, and lexicalization.
- Investigation of the role of back formation as a borderline process.
- Evaluation of 'blocking' as a regulatory mechanism that restricts lexical productivity.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1. Derivation
Derivational morphology can be described as the area of morphology which is “concerned with the way in which lexemes are related to one another through processes such as affixation” (Carstairs-McCarthy 2002: 142). Affixation is the process of adding affixes to a free morpheme. Derivation is divided into prefixation, suffixation and infixation. The sentence from the beginning The drumper went on drumping until the drumperism lets him get drumpish is an appropriate example for derivation, especially for suffixation. To the lexeme drump different suffixes were added which lead to new different lexemes, namely drump-er, drump-er-ism and drump-ish. Thus, drumper drumperism and drumpish are all derived from the lexeme drump. Drum-ping is just another word form of drump, thus no different lexeme. Probably these nonce formations will never become established because there is no need for these words at the moment. As a general rule, a word will not be formed to denote something which does not exist (Bauer 1983: 85). But the point is, we are able to produce new words, especially with this very productive word formation process derivation, whenever we need new ones and we can form them just like we can form new sentences.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the core concept of word formation processes and defines the research scope regarding productive mechanisms in English.
2. Morphology: This section provides a foundation by defining key morphological terms, such as morphemes and lexemes, and distinguishes between word formation and inflectional morphology.
3. Stages of Establishing – Nonce Formation, Institutionalization, Lexicalization: The chapter describes the three-stage progression a new word must pass through to become a recognized part of the language.
4. Primary Word Formation Processes: This central section provides a detailed analysis of derivation, compounding, conversion, and back formation, including their sub-types and examples.
5. Blocking – Restrictions on Productivity: This chapter examines the phenomenon where the existence of a word prevents the formation of new, morphologically regular alternatives.
6. Conclusion: The summary reviews the discussed processes and provides an outlook on the continuous development of the English vocabulary.
Keywords
Morphology, Word Formation, Derivation, Compounding, Conversion, Back Formation, Lexeme, Morpheme, Nonce Formation, Institutionalization, Lexicalization, Blocking, Productivity, Neologisms, Affixation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on the most productive word formation processes in the English language, specifically how the language systematically creates new words.
What are the central thematic areas covered?
The core themes include derivational morphology, compounding strategies, conversion processes, and the life cycle of a word from inception to establishment.
What is the primary objective of this work?
The objective is to explain how productive word formation processes function and to illustrate these mechanisms with concrete examples, while also identifying why certain potential words are blocked.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The paper utilizes a theoretical approach based on established linguistic literature to define, categorize, and analyze morphological patterns in English.
What topics are addressed in the main part?
The main part covers the categorization of derivation (prefixation, suffixation, infixation), types of compounding (nouns, verbs, adjectives, neo-classical), conversion as a morphological and syntactic process, and back formation.
Which keywords characterize this research?
Key terms include derivation, compounding, conversion, lexicalization, morpheme, and blocking.
How does the author define 'nonce formation'?
Nonce formation is defined as the first use of a newly coined word, often created spontaneously to meet an immediate communicative need.
Why is the concept of 'blocking' important?
Blocking is crucial because it explains the restrictions on productivity; it prevents the creation of redundant words when a concept is already lexicalized, such as the preference for "thief" over "stealer".
- Citar trabajo
- Anonym (Autor), 2005, The Most Productive Word Formation Processes of the English Language, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/69367
