Phonetics And Word Formation Questions Long
Back-formation is a process in word formation where a new word is created by removing what appears to be an affix from an existing word. This process typically occurs when speakers mistakenly analyze a word as being derived from another word with an affix, when in fact the reverse is true. In other words, back-formation involves the creation of a shorter word by removing a perceived affix from a longer word.
One common example of back-formation is the creation of the verb "edit" from the noun "editor." Initially, "editor" was derived from the verb "edit," but over time, speakers mistakenly assumed that "editor" was the base word and "edit" was derived from it. As a result, the verb "edit" was back-formed from the noun "editor."
Another example is the creation of the verb "televise" from the noun "television." Originally, "television" was derived from the verb "televise," but due to the influence of other words ending in "-ize," such as "advertise" or "apologize," speakers back-formed the verb "televise" from the noun "television."
Similarly, the noun "donation" was back-formed from the verb "donate." Initially, "donate" was derived from the noun "donation," but speakers mistakenly assumed that "donation" was derived from "donate." This led to the creation of the noun "donation" through back-formation.
Back-formation can also occur in the creation of new words from proper nouns. For example, the noun "burgle" was back-formed from the proper noun "burglar." Speakers mistakenly assumed that "burglar" was derived from "burgle," leading to the creation of the verb "burgle" through back-formation.
In summary, back-formation is a process in word formation where a new word is created by removing what appears to be an affix from an existing word. It often occurs when speakers mistakenly analyze a word as being derived from another word with an affix, when in fact the reverse is true. Examples of back-formation include the creation of words like "edit," "televise," "donation," and "burgle."