Process Identification
A word-formation process used when 'realize' becomes 'realization'.
DERIVATION
Rationalization:
A suffix (-ation) is added to an existing word, creating a new word with a related meaning.
The process illustrated in words plop, ow, and cuckoo.
ONOMATOPOEIA
Rationalization:
These words imitate the sounds they represent.
Which process is illustrated by the word sandwich, named after the Earl of Sandwich?
EPONYM
Rationalization:
Proper names can become common nouns over time.
laboratory to lab
CLIPPING
Rationalization:
Part of the word is removed, but the shortened form represents the whole.
Approximately how many new words make it into print each year?
About 1000
Rationalization:
Only widely adopted words become part of printed usage.
A word-formation process applied to the word 'blackboard'.
COMPOUNDING
Rationalization:
Two existing words are combined to form a single unit with a unified meaning.
The repetition or near repetition of sounds.
REDUPLICATION
Rationalization:
The repetition of sounds creates emphasis, rhythm, or stylistic effect as seen in flip-flop, lovey-dovey, and hip-hop.
How was Alzheimer’s disease named the way it is?
EPONYMY
Rationalization:
The word is named after a person associated with it.
What process forms words like NATO and MAGA
ACRONYMS
Rationalization:
Initial letters are combined and read as a single word.
An organization that tracks and analyzes the trends in language usage worldwide. It focuses on how language evolves, especially with the rise of technology and social media.
Global Language Monitor
What process is involved when the noun 'sculptor' gives rise to the verb 'sculpt'?
BACK FORMATION
Rationalization:
A new root word is formed by removing a supposed affix from an existing word.
What process explains how 'scramble' developed from a mishearing or alteration of 'scrabble'?
ERROR
Rationalization:
Misspellings or mishearings can stabilize over time and form new words.
Which process explains how the word hunk entered English from Flemish?
LOANWORD
Rationalization:
English adopts words from other languages to expand its vocabulary.
Which process forms USA and DNA
INITIALISM
Rationalization:
The initials are spoken individually rather than as one word.
He is often called a master neologist due to the many words linked to his works.
SHAKESPEARE
Rationalization:
Many words first appeared in his texts, though authorship is debated.
What process occurs when the word 'mouse' is used to refer to a computer device instead of an animal?
REPURPOSING
Rationalization:
A word from one context is applied to a new context while retaining its form.
Which word-formation process is shown when hamburger leads to the creation of cheeseburger?
BLENDING / PORTMANTEAU
Rationalization:
Parts of words are reanalyzed and reused to form new words with related meanings.
taboo and tattoo are formed through?
LOANWORDS
Rationalization:
These words are borrowed from other languages (Polynesian) and absorbed into English.
The word taxicab came from the combination of which words?
TAXIMETER & CABRIOLET
Which author is considered the most prolific minter of words in English?
JOHN MILTON
Rationalization:
He contributed over 600 coinages to English.
What word-formation process allows giant to function as an adjective in the phrase “a giant dog”?
CONVERSION
Rationalization:
The word shifts from a noun to an adjective without changing form; context determines function.
Give an example of the word formation process: Portmanteau
ANSWERS VARY
Webinar, Sitcom, Bromance, Brunch, Smog, Motel, Frenemy, Infomercial, etc.
What term describes newly created words like quark, bling, and fleek that gain meaning through use?
NONCE WORDS
Rationalization:
These words are invented and acquire meaning through repeated social usage.
What are the 3 subtypes of abbreviations?
clippings, acronyms and initialisms
Why do linguists focus more on how words are formed rather than who invented them?
Because word formation follows identifiable mechanisms.
Rationalization:
Even when origins are unclear, word-formation processes are systematic.