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In:Paradigms in Word Formation: Theory and applications
Edited by Alba E. Ruz, Cristina Fernández-Alcaina and Cristina Lara-Clares
[Studies in Language Companion Series 225] 2022
► pp. 129–152

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Chapter 6
Derivational paradigms

The case of English combining forms

 | University of Pisa, Italy
Published online: 19 September 2022
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.225.06mat
Abstract
This chapter investigates a set of ten English combining forms attested in the Oxford English Dictionary between 1980 and 1997 and discusses the suitability of paradigms for the conceptualisation of analogy-based combining-form combinations. In this chapter, the focus is on the secreted type of combining forms, which involve both abbreviation and secretion, as in initial Franken- (from Frankenstein, in Frankenfood) or final -erati (from literati, in glitterati), respectively used to refer to ‘genetically modified –’ and ‘a prominent or elite group related to –’. Using a corpus-based approach, the chapter shows that secreted combining forms offer word-formation paradigms that apply to series of similar words in the lexicon and are applicable to other new words which are at the basis of English vocabulary expansion.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Paradigmatic word formation and derivational paradigms
  • 3.Combining forms
  • 4.Materials and methods
  • 5.Analysis of derivational paradigms
    • 5.1Alterna-
    • 5.2Franken-
    • 5.3m-
    • 5.4must-
    • 5.5robo-
    • 5.6-ati/-erati
    • 5.7-babble
    • 5.8-core
    • 5.9-istan
    • 5.10-verse
  • 6.Analogy, potentiality, and availability
  • 7.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
References (37)
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