WORD FORMATION PROCESS
Word formation process: The systematic creation of new words through
various linguistic operations, such as the following:
Bennett Fineness
Compounding
Ebitmi Victor Boladei
Derivation: prefix and suffixes
Calabar Juliet Arimieye
Conversation
Ajobiewe OmoBusola James
Blending
Chinakwe Shadday Okoh
Abbreviation
Odigi Pretty Iniyainkie
Clipping
Anyado Ann Nmesoma
Acronym
Dickson Karina
Novel creation
Ayibatonye Favour
Creative respelling
Akpan Praise God umeh
Loan words
COMPOUNDING
Compounding is one of the most common word-formation processes in
English, where two or more words are combined to form a new word with a
specific meaning. The resulting word usually conveys a meaning that is either a
combination of the individual words' meanings or something entirely new.
1. Types of Compounds in English
Compounds in English can be classified based on their structure:
A. Closed Compounds
In closed compounds, the words are joined together without spaces. Over time,
many frequently used compound words evolve into this form.
Examples:
Notebook (a book for taking notes)
Football (a ball used in the game of football or the game itself)
Sunflower (a type of flower that resembles the sun)
B. Open Compounds
In open compounds, the words remain separate but function as a single unit of
meaning. These are often found in noun phrases, where two or more words act
together to form a new concept.
Examples:
High school (a secondary educational institution)
Post office (a place where mail is sent and received)
Ice cream (a frozen dairy dessert)
C. Hyphenated Compounds
Hyphenated compounds are connected with a hyphen, which helps clarify
meaning and pronunciation. These are often used when two words together
modify a noun or to prevent ambiguity.
Examples:
Mother-in-law (the mother of one’s spouse)
Well-being (a state of good health and happiness)
Self-esteem (confidence in oneself
DERIVATION:
Derivation is the process of creating new words by adding affixes to the
base/root word.
The new words created through derivation often have meanings related to, but
different from, the original word.
For example, the word assess can be changed by adding the prefix re- to form
the word reassess, which means to assess again.
Affixes in Derivation
Affixes can be broken down into:
1. Prefixes – They are placed at the beginning of a base word.
Example: pre- in prenatal is a prefix.
2. Suffixes – They are placed at the end of a base word.
Example: -ist in pharmacist is a suffix.
Patterns of Derivation
Derivation follows different patterns depending on what is added.
1. Suffixes Changing Word Class
When a suffix is added, the word class often changes, though not always.
From Adjective to Another Word Class:
Sterile (adjective) → Sterility (noun)
Active (adjective) → Activate (verb)
Rapid (adjective) → Rapidly (adverb)
From Noun to Another Word Class:
Medicine (noun) → Medical (adjective)
Therapy (noun) → Therapeutic (adjective)
From Verb to Another Word Class:
Diagnose (verb) → Diagnosis (noun)
Prescribe (verb) → Prescription (noun)
2. Suffixes That Do Not Change Word Class
In some cases, a suffix is added without changing the word class.
Adjective to Adjective:
Fever (adjective) → Feverish (adjective)
Blood (adjective) → Bloodborne (adjective)
Noun to Noun:
Nurse (noun) → Nursing (noun)
Doctor (noun) → Doctorate (noun)
ABBREVIATION
The word formation process of abbreviations involves shortening words or
phrases. Here's a breakdown of the key aspects:
Types of Abbreviations:
* Clipping:
* This involves shortening a word by removing parts of it.
* Examples:
* "advertisement" becomes "ad"
* "laboratory" becomes "lab"
* "hamburger" becomes "burger"
* Acronyms:
* These are formed from the initial letters of a series of words, and are
pronounced as a single word.
* Examples:
1. NMCN: Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria
2. ICU: Intensive Care Unit
3. CNA: Certified Nursing Assistant
* Initialisms:
* Similar to acronyms, initialisms are also formed from the initial letters of
words, but they are pronounced letter by letter.
* Examples:
* "BBC" (British Broadcasting Corporation)
* "USA" (United States of America)
* "FBI" (Federal Bureau of Investigation)
* Blends:
* While sometimes considered it's own word formation process, it can be
seen as a form of abbreviation. Blends are formed by combining parts of two
or more words.
* Examples:
* "smog" (smoke + fog)
* "brunch" (breakfast + lunch)
Key Points:
* Abbreviations are a common way to make language more concise.
* The use of abbreviations can vary depending on context and audience.
* With the rise of digital communication, abbreviations have become even
more prevalent, particularly in texting and social media.
LOAN WORDS
Loan words are words adopted or borrowed from other languages and
incorporated into English, often without significant changes in spelling or
pronunciation.But overtime English speakers started using them as if they
were English words without needing to know the original language.
How Loan Words
Entered English
English has borrow words from other many languages because of history
trade, travel and cultural exchanges.
Sometimes, the word keep their original spelling and pronunciation, but other
times, they change to sound more natural in English.
Example of Loan words
1.From French - cafe, restaurant
2.From Spanish - tornado
3.From Arabic - alcohol, coffee, algebra
4.From Greek - television
5.From Italian - pasta, pizza, umbrella
In conclusion, English is a mix of many languages, and that's why it has such a
large vocabulary, many words we use everyday actually come from different
parts of the world!
ACRONYM
An acronym is a type of abbreviation consisting of phrase whose only
pronounced elements are the initial letters or initial sounds of words inside
that phrase.
E.g
* NASA is an acronym for National Aeronautics and Space Administration,
* BYSCONS:
Bayelsa State College of Nursing Sciences etc.
Acronyms are different from initialism which is a word or term formed by using
the first letter of each word and they are pronounced individually or separately
E.g
* D.N.A : Deoxyribonucleic Acid
* P.C.R : Polymerase Chain Reaction
