Conversion Backformation Shortening or clipping Blending Reduplication Borrowing

Conversion Back-formation Shortening or clipping Blending Reduplication Borrowing Acronymy Voicing

1. Conversion is a process by means of which a word belonging to one class of word is converted to another class of word whereby the structure of the word itself does not change. Thus one and the same word may be used as a verb, noun, adjective, etc. by just fitting it into its new context. § The new book is a must! V - N § We could go and have a swim in the sea early in the morning. V – N § Could you please mail this letter for me? N – V § Please, calm down. There’s no need to be upset. Adj – V

2. Back-formation is a process by means of which a word is formed out of another by reduction, that is by removing or changing the beginning or end of a word that already exists. § cheeseburger from hamburger § to baby-sit from baby-sitter § to televise from television § to type-write form type-writer

3. Shortening or clipping is a process by means of which a word is shortened by omitting one part of it. Sometimes even the middle part of a word may be omitted. Depending on which part of a word is omitted, clipping may be: - fore-clipping - back-clipping - clipping in the middle § fore-clipping: plane from aeroplane, bus from omnibus, van from caravan § back-clipping: ammo from ammunition, info from information, limo from limousine, lab from laboratory, bike from bicycle, pram from perambulator § in the middle: vegan from vetarian, flu from influenza, In colloquial speech, clipping is very common with names, that is nicknames are formed by means of this process. § Gerry from Gerald, Lizzie form Elizabeth, Monty from Montgomery, Trish from Patricia

§ 4. Blending is in fact the fusion of two words by means of which a new word is formed. These words are also called hybrid words which are actually compound words formed in an unusual way. Only parts of words are taken and put together. smog motel brunch - smoke + fog motor + hotel breakfast + lunch

5. Reduplication is the repetition of one and the same word or two words sounding and looking similar. Reduplication may be: - repetitive and - non-repetitive § repetitive: bye-bye, chop-chop § non-repetitive: zig-zag, chit-chat, hankypanky (first clipping, then reduplication), honky-tonk, ding-dong, tick-tock

6. Borrowing is an avoidable process in every language by means of which words are taken from other languages and incorporated into the mother tongue. Many words in English are of Fench, Latin or Greek origin. However, those words entered the English language a long while ago and have adapted to the English language. Today words referring to foreign cultures, especially cuisine, are borrowed and incorporated into the English language. What happens more often is that other languages borrow words from the English language. § kebab, spaghetti, pasta, tortilla

7. Acronymy is a process by means of which a new word is formed out of the initial letters of the words which the acronym consists of. There are two types of acronyms: - alphabetisms and - wordlike. § - alphabetisms: NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), FBI, CIA, BBC, an MP, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) § - wordlike: radar (radio detection and reading), sonar (sound navigation and ranging), laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radioation)

8. Voicing is a process by means of which verbs are transformed into nouns whereby certain phonemes change. Voiced consonants change into their unvoiced pairs. § breathe – breath § believe – belief § use – use § bathe – bath