Phonetics And Word Formation Questions Medium
Derivation is a process in linguistics that involves creating new words by adding affixes to existing words. It is a common method of word formation in many languages, including English.
In the process of derivation, an affix is added to a base word, which can be either a root or a stem. The affix can be a prefix, which is added at the beginning of the word, or a suffix, which is added at the end.
The addition of affixes can change the meaning, part of speech, or both of the base word. For example, adding the prefix "un-" to the adjective "happy" creates the word "unhappy," which has the opposite meaning. Similarly, adding the suffix "-er" to the verb "teach" creates the noun "teacher," indicating a person who teaches.
Derivation can also involve combining multiple affixes with a base word. For instance, adding the prefix "re-" and the suffix "-ing" to the verb "write" results in the word "rewriting," indicating the action of writing again.
It is important to note that not all combinations of affixes and base words are possible or productive in a language. The rules and patterns of derivation vary across languages, and certain combinations may be restricted or not commonly used.
Overall, derivation is a fundamental process in word formation, allowing for the creation of new words and expanding the vocabulary of a language.