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Pejorative Suffixes and Combining Forms in English
The book is a research monograph that reviews and revises the concept of linguistic pejoration, and explores the role of 15 suffixes and combining forms, such as -ie, -o, -ard, -holic, -rrhea, -itis, -porn, -ish, in the formation of English pejoratives. The examination of the inner structure of the resulting derivatives is based on an innovative methodology that encompasses the theories and approaches of Construction Morphology, Componential Analysis, and Morphopragmatics. Following the principles of this methodology, pejorative words collected from dictionaries and corpora (a total of approximately 950 words) are abstracted into generalizations (or constructional schemas) where structural and functional similarities are used to cognitively trace the ways in which negative (or derisive) meaning is connected with a specific form. Through this multifaceted methodology, my analysis showcases the fact that the universal properties of ‘diminution’, ‘excess’, ‘resemblance’, and ‘metonymization’ are what underlie the making of pejorative meaning. These generalizations, along with the schematic representations of formatives, can help linguists, or linguistics enthusiasts in general, to understand the conventions and intricacy of lexical pejoration.
This book has been awarded 'Best Book in English Language and Linguistics 2022' by AEDEAN!
[Studies in Language Companion Series, 222] 2022. xvi, 229 pp.
Publishing status: Available
Published online on 13 January 2022
Published online on 13 January 2022
© John Benjamins
Table of Contents
- Acknowledgements | pp. xi–xii
- Abbreviations and symbols
- Figures and tables | pp. xv–xvi
- Introduction | pp. 1–6
- Chapter 1. Pejoration and beyond | pp. 7–31
- Chapter 2. How pejoratives are made: | pp. 33–59
- Chapter 3. From diminution to pejoration | pp. 61–100
- Chapter 4. From excess to pejoration | pp. 101–140
- Chapter 5. From resemblance to pejoration | pp. 141–161
- Chapter 6. From metonymization to pejoration: | pp. 163–182
- Concluding remarks | pp. 183–187
- Appendices | pp. 189–212
- References
- Index | pp. 225–229
“The cutting-edge nature of Pejorative Suffixes and Combining Forms in English makes it an indispensable reference book in the study of pejoration in this language, and it will surely pave the way for ensuing studies. In view of the array of linguistic disciplines which here converge, this book will be of great relevance not only to lexicologists but also to linguists in general.”
Amanda Roig-Marín, University of Alicante, in English Language and Linguistics (2023)
“Sánchez Fajardo’s monograph has ably determined the morphological and semantic structures of pejoratives that come from 15 suffixes and combining forms. The nature and breadth of detail in doing this has provided linguists with a sound reference book. The challenge is now for other researchers to build upon this and expand our knowledge and use of pejoration. This well-rounded study would be of interest to a wide range of linguists and those who love language.”
Patrick Coleman, Lincoln University, in TESOLANZ Journal
“José Antonio Sánchez Fajardo’s monograph presents the to-date most detailed and extensive study solely dedicated to how pejoration is reflected in present-day English word-formational paradigms. His study provides an intricate overview of the cognitive processes involved in the formation of morphologically complex English lexemes with depreciative meaning.”
Anke Lensch, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
Cited by (7)
Cited by seven other publications
Arndt-Lappe, Sabine, Natalia Beliaeva & Audrey Martin
Mattiello, Elisa
Mattiello, Elisa & José A. Sánchez Fajardo
Sánchez Fajardo, José A. & Elisa Mattiello
Hayashi, Hiromi
Schönefeld, Doris, Viktorija Kostadinova, Gea Dreschler, Tamara Bouso Rivas, Réka Benczes, Ai Zhong, Maggie Scott, Lieselotte Anderwald, Wiebke Ahlers, Manuela Vida-Mannl, Kholoud A Al-Thubaiti, Alessia Cogo, Shawnea Sum Pok Ting, Ida Parise, Juliana Souza Da Silva, Elisabeth Reber, Naomi Adam & Fransina Stradling
Tarasova, Elizaveta & José A. Sánchez Fajardo
2024. Exploring linguistic competition in English derivatives ending in
‑ie and ‑o through a
cognitive-onomasiological approach. In Competition in Word-Formation [Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today, 284], ► pp. 139 ff.
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