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Word Formation
Coinage
Borrowing
Compounding
BlendingClipping
Backformation
Conversion
Acronyms Derivation(Affixation)
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the process of taking words from other languages
Loan translation orcalqueAdam's apple: a calque of French pomme d'Adam
loanword: a calque of German Lehnwort
blue-blood: a calque of Spanish sangre azul4
2. Borrowing
croissant (French)alcohol (Arabic)
caf (French)boss (Dutch)
piano (Italian)yoghurt (Turkish)
robot (Czech)satan (Arabic)
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3. Compounding
the process of combining two (or more) words to
form a new word
fire engine greenhouse textbook over-ripe
wallpaper bluebird outpatient bookcase
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4. Blending
similar to compounding,
but parts of the words involved are lost(usually 1st part of 1st word + end of 2nd word)
e.g. brunch (breakfast+ lunch)
smog (smoke+ fog)
motel (motor+ hotel)newscast (news+ broadcast)
fantabulous (? + ?)
modem (modulator + demodulator)
the process of combining the beginning of oneword and the end of another word to form a
new word
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5. Clipping
the process of reducing a word of more than one
syllable to a shorter form); often in casual speech
gasoline gas
laboratory labfanatic fan
facsimile fax
hamburger burger
(names)
Liz
Kathy
Bev
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cellular cell
advertisement adinfluenza flu
examination exam
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6. Back formation
e.g. donation donateeditor edit
burglar burgle
zipper zip
television televise
babysitter babysit
the process of reducing a word such as a noun to ashorter version and using it as a new word such as
a verb
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7. Conversion
V N a guess, a must, a spy, a printout,
walk, run, laugh, touch
N V position, process, contact, notice,
party, fax, butter, bottle
(computer-related term)input, output, window
V ADJsee-through, a stand-up comedian
the process of changing the function of a word,such as a noun to a verb, as a way of forming
new words,also known as (functional shift) and
(category change)
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8. Acronyms (1)
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)
NASA (National Aeronautics & Space Administration) UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and
Cultural Organization)
Radar (radio detecting and ranging)
= a new word is formed from the initial lettersof other words
A. the acronym is pronounced as a word
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8. Acronyms (2)
ATM = automatic teller machine
I.Q. = intelligence quotientMTV = music television
VCR = video cassette recorder
CD = compact disk
USA = The United States of America
UN = The United Nations
= a new word is formed from the initial
letters of other words
B. each letter is sounded out separately
FAO = Food and Agriculture Organization)
UCLA = University of California at Los Angeles)
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Word Formation
Coinage
Borrowing
Compounding
BlendingClipping
Backformation
Conversion
Acronyms Derivation(Affixation)
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