Word Formation

Well, we have discussed morphemes. Now, let’s discuss how words are created or formed.

As what we have been learning, AFFIXATION is one way of creating new words. Some other ways includes the following.

COMPOUNDING

This is done by combining two words into one. Example: fire engine; school bus.

BLENDING

This is like compounding, but some elements of the original words are missing. Example:

• motor + hotel = motel
• smoke + fog = smog

CLIPPING

This is done by cutting some elements of the words to make shorter words. Example

• Facsimile = Fax
• Professor = Prof
• Automobile = auto

ACRONYM

Acronym is a combination of the initial letters or sounds of some words to make a new word. Examples: AIDS, RADAR, NASA, NATO, ASEAN, etc.

CONVERSION

This is done by taking a word from a class of words into another class of words. Example

(a) I don’t have a book.

(b) Please book a hotel room for me.

The word ‘book’ in sentence (a) is different from ‘book’ in sentence (b).

EPONYM

This is done by taking some proper names as words. Example:

• KODAK for a camera
• HONDA for a motorcycle
• SANYO for a water pump

(These are common in Indonesia)

Now, look around. Look at the banners, billboards, back of the buses or trucks. They use many words. Try to identify the morphological process that happens to those words.