Upload
russell-pitts
View
222
Download
2
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
English
Word Formation
Word Formation
To this point, we have looked at affixation
There are other, less rule governed, methods of creating new words
Shortening
Many ways to shorten a phrase that sometimes will become a word
Acronym
Using the first letter of each word to create a new word
Abbreviation
Pronouncing the first letter of each word
Acronyms
constable on patrol
cop
radar detection and ranging
radar
aquired immune deficiency syndrome
AIDS
Abbreviations
television TV
compact disk CD
very important person
VIP
unidentified flying object
UFO
Backformation
Another example of shortening
A word with a recognizable structure is stripped of an affix
television > televise
These argue that the rules that we have explored are real
Backformation
burglar burgle
beggar beg
enthusiasm enthuse
hamburger burger
Clipping
The converse of backformation
Clipping does not assume a rule but deletes material while obeying the phonological rules of the language
Clipping
professor prof
disrespect diss
gymnasium gym
mathematics math
memorandum memo
attitude tude
Blends
Blends are the compression of two words into one
smoke + fog = smog
They will obey the phonological rules of the language
smoke + fog ≠ sfog
Blends
television marathon telethon
breakfast lunch brunch
motor hotel motel
frozen cappacino frappacino
situation comedy sitcom
cranberry martini crantini
Blends
Some blending patterns become so common that they seem to create new morphemes
Watergate
Nannygate
Monicagate
-gate looks like a suffix meaning ‘scandal’
Zero Derivation
In English, it is possible to change grammatical category without a suffix
Is ‘love’ a verb or a noun?
Formally, there are two lexemes
But, practically, it is not possible to tell until it is used
Ambiguity
Sentences can be ambiguous for two reasons
Structural ambiguity
Lexical ambiguity
Structural Ambiguity
Recall ‘unfoldable’
‘John watched the boy with the telescope’
Lexical Ambiguity
Because words can have more than 1 meaning or grammatical category, they can make a sentence ambiguous in surprising ways
‘Time flies like an arrow’
Zero Derivation
Consider ‘impact’
It is a past participle, so it must originally have been a verb
But it is often used as a noun
LexN
LexV
⇒ + ∅
Brand Names
Every product needs a name
A patent restricts who can produce that product
So, the name becomes associated with the product
e.g. Kleenex
This is an example of generization
Brand Names
Some products are so successful that their name becomes generic
In the 2005 report to stockholders, Google predicted that it would lose its trademark
“google” is now a verb
Other search engines are just search engines
Examples
granola
spandex
zipper
nylon
escalator
Brand Names
Companies are required to protect brand names
Listen to Johnson & Johnson band-aid ads
“I’m stuck on band-aid brand because band-aid’s stuck on me”
Emphasizes the difference between bandage and band-aid
Quality Inn vs McDonalds
Quality Inn proposed to establish a franchise of hotels called McSleep
McDonalds sued claiming that it had the trademark of “Mc + noun”
McMuffin, McNuggets
Mc + noun
McJoblow paying, short term employment
McNewsdigested news
stories
McArtlow cost, mass produced art
What does Mc mean?
Two linguists
“basic, convenient, inexpensive and standardized”
“That’s McDonalds!”
McDonalds wins