yule_5_questions_word_formation

Can you identify the different word-formation processes involved in producing each of the underlined words in these sentences? a) Don't they ever worry that they might get AIDS? b) Do you have a xerox machine? c) That's really fandamntastic! d) Shiel still parties every Saturday night. e) These new skateboards from Zee Designs are kickass. f) When I'm ill, I want to see a doc, not a vet.

(a) acronym ("Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome") (b) coinage (c) infixing ("damn" inside "fantastic") (d) conversion (noun "party" → verb) (e) compounding ("skate" + "board") and compounding ("kick" + "ass") and conversion (verb "kick" + noun "ass" → adjective "kickass") (f) clipping ("doctor") and clipping ("veterinarian")

More than one process was involved in the creation of the forms underlined in these sentences. Can you identify the processes involved in each case? a) Are you still using that old car-phone? b) Can you FedEx the books to me today? c) Police have reported an increase in carjackings in recent months. d) Welcome, everyone, to karaokenight at Bubba's Bar and Grill! e) Jeeves, could you tell the maid to be sure to hoover the bedroom carpet?

(a) clipping (phone from telephone) plus compounding (car + phone) (b) blending (from Federal Express) plus conversion (noun → verb) (c) blending (car + hijack) plus conversion (verb → noun) (d) borrowing (from Japanese karaoke) plus compounding (karaoke+ night) (e) eponym (from William Hoover) plus conversion (noun → verb)

Which of the following pairs contains an example of calque? How would you describe the other(s)?

(c) and (d) are examples of calque; (a) and (b) are borrowings

More than one process was involved in the creation of the forms underlined in these sentences. Can you identify the processes involved in each case? f) I know there are some newbies in the group, but it's not a difficult system. g) I had to temp for a while before I got a real job. h) Would you prefer a decaf?

(f) hypocorism (from new beginner + -ie) (g) clipping (from temporary worker) plus conversion (noun → verb) (h) decaf is (usually) a reduced version of "a cup of coffee made with decaffeinated coffee," so clipping is the most obvious process. The longer word decaffeinated is a derivation via a prefix (de-) and two suffixes (-ate + -ed) from caffeine, which was originally a borrowing from French. Conversion from noun (caffeine) to adjective (decaffeinated) to noun (decaf) has also taken place.

When is an eponym a neologism?

When an eponym (a word based on the name of a person or a place) is used as a new word in the language, it is a neologism. When the Earl of Sandwich's friends started calling his new snack "a sandwich," they created a neologism with an eponym.

Im Khmu, the word kap means "to grasp with tongs". What would be the word for "tongs"?

krnap

Identify the prefixes and suffixes used in these words: misfortune, terrorism, carelessness, disagreement, ineffective, unfaithful, prepackaged, biodegradable, reincarnation, decentralization

mis- + fortune; terror + -ism; care + -less + -ness; dis- + agree + -ment; in- + effect + -ive; un- + faith + -ful; pre- + pack + -age + -ed; bio- + de- + grade + -able; re- + in- + carn + -ation (Latin root carn ("flesh")); de- + cent(e)r + -al + -ize + -ation

Can you identify the different word-formation processes involved in producing each of the underlined words in these sentences? g) The house next door was burgled when I was babysitting the Smith' children. h) I like the old sofa - it's nice and comfy. i) My guess is that the company will need a bailout. j) I think Robyn said she'd like a toastie for bekky. k) You don't need to button it because it's got velcro inside.

(g) backformation (verb "burgle" from noun "burglar") and backformation (verb "babysit" from noun "babysitter", which is a compound ("baby" + "sitter"). (h) borrowing (from Arabic "suffa") and hypocorism (from "comfortable") (i) two examples of conversion of verbs ("to guess," "to bail out") to nouns. (j) two examples of hypocorism from "toasted sandwich" and "breakfast." (k) conversion of the noun ("a button") to a verb and blending of two words ("velours croché"), borrowed from French