#affixation

[howdoesone]

How does one compare and contrast morphological processes across different languages?

Morphology is the branch of linguistics that studies the internal structure of words and how they are formed. Morphological processes differ across different languages, and understanding these differences can help in language acquisition, translation, and language preservation efforts. In this article, we will discuss how one can compare and contrast morphological processes across different…

[deliasamed]

Word Formation in English

Word Formation Processes:

Word formation, also known as morphology, is a fascinating aspect of linguistics that deals with how words are created and constructed within a language. It explores the rules and processes by which new words are formed, whether by combining existing morphemes (the smallest units of meaning) or by altering existing words through various affixes, compounding, blending, and other mechanisms.     Affixation: Affixation is one of the most common methods of word formation. Affixes are added to the base or root of a word to create new words. There are two types of affixes: prefixes (attached before the root) and suffixes (attached after the root). For example: Prefix: un- in unhappy Suffix: -ly in quickly         Compounding: Compounding involves combining two or more complete words to create a new word. This process often leads to the formation of compound nouns, adjectives, or verbs. For example: Breakfast (break + fast) Bookshelf (book + shelf)         Blending: Blending is the process of combining parts of two words to create a new word whose meaning is often a blend of the original words. This method is common in creating new terms for technological advancements or cultural phenomena. For example: Brunch (breakfast + lunch) Spork (spoon + fork)         Conversion: Conversion, also known as zero derivation, involves changing the grammatical category (such as a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb) of a word without adding any affixes. This is achieved by using a word in a different context or with a different grammatical function. For example: She can run fast. (verb to adverb) I need a light. (adjective to noun)         Back-formation: Back-formation is the process of creating a new word by removing an affix from an existing word. This typically occurs when a word is mistakenly perceived to be derived from another word with an affix. For example: Edit (from editor) Burgle (from burglar)         Acronyms and initialism: Acronyms involves forming a new word from the initial letters or parts of a series of words. Initialism is similar but involves using the initial letters as letters, not as a pronounced word. For example: NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund)         Reduplication: Reduplication involves repeating either all or part of a word to create a new word. This process is often used to indicate plurality, intensification, or repetition. For example: Chit-chat Ping-pong       Clipping: Clipping involves shortening a word by removing one or more syllables. The shortened form typically retains the meaning of the original word. Clipped words often become informal or slang terms. For example: Phone (from telephone) Exam (from examination)         Abbreviation: Abbreviation involves shortening a word or phrase by retaining only the initial letters or syllables. Abbreviations are often used for convenience or brevity, particularly in written communication. For example:  etc. (from et cetera) Dr. (from Doctor)       Borrowing: Borrowing involves adopting words or expressions from another language and incorporating them into one's own language. Borrowed words often undergo adaptation to fit the phonological, morphological, and syntactic patterns of the borrowing language. For example: Piano (from Italian pianoforte) Tsunami (from Japanese tsu meaning harbor + nami meaning wave)         Folk Etymology: Folk etymology occurs when speakers reinterpret the origin of a word based on similarity to other words in the language. This often involves changing the form of a word to make it more familiar or logical. For example: Hangnail (originally agnail, but influenced by hang due to its location on the finger) Cranberry (originally craneberry, but influenced by the similarity to cran due to the plant's appearance)         Calque: Calque involves translating the components of a word or phrase from one language into another while maintaining the same semantic structure. This process results in a new word or phrase in the borrowing language. For example: Skyscraper (calque of the French gratte-ciel, literally scrape-sky) Loanword (calque of the German Lehnwort)         Loanwords: Loanwords are words adopted from another language with little to no modification. Unlike borrowing, loanwords retain their original form and are often used to refer to concepts or objects unique to the source culture. For example: Café (from French) Sushi (from Japanese)         Hypocorisms: Hypocorisms involve the formation of endearing or affectionate forms of words, often through the addition of diminutive suffixes or alterations to the original word. Hypocorisms are commonly used in personal names or terms of endearment. For example: Johnny (hypocorism of John) Sweetie (hypocorism of sweet)   Each of these word formation processes contributes to the richness and diversity of language, reflecting historical, cultural, and social influences on linguistic evolution.        

Productive Word Formation Processes:

In English, some word formation processes are more productive than others, meaning they are more commonly used and result in the creation of a greater number of new words. Among the most productive types of word formation processes in English are:       Affixation: Affixation, particularly the use of prefixes and suffixes, is highly productive in English. Adding prefixes like un- or re- and suffixes like -ness or -able allows for the creation of numerous new words while maintaining consistency in meaning and grammatical structure.       Compounding: Compounding is another highly productive process in English, especially in fields like technology, science, and culture. By combining two or more existing words, English speakers can create new terms to describe complex concepts or emerging phenomena. Compounds like smartphone, email, and blackboard are ubiquitous examples.         Borrowing: English has a long history of borrowing words from other languages, making borrowing a productive process for expanding vocabulary. Borrowings from languages such as Latin, French, and Greek have enriched English with terms in various domains, including academia, cuisine, and the arts.         Clipping: Clipping, or shortening words, is commonly used in informal or colloquial language, especially in spoken English and slang. Clipped forms like info (from information), ad (from advertisement), and math (from mathematics) are frequently encountered in everyday conversation.         Conversion: Conversion, or zero derivation, is particularly productive in English because it allows for the creation of words without adding any affixes. By changing the grammatical function of a word, English speakers can easily adapt existing vocabulary to suit different contexts. For instance, text can function as both a noun and a verb (I received a text vs. I will text you).               Word Formation in English Word Formation: Word derivation; Word Building in English Complex Sentence With Multiple Dependent Sentences Conditional sentences: Mixed and Implied Complex Sentences     Read the full article

[great-and-small]

Sorry I’m late to the meme but here’s my offering

[bookwyrminspiration]

constantly torn between "i wish I could magically learn this language immediately and speak it perfectly" and "part of language acquisition is the process, and learning it immediately wouldn't have as much meaning or significance to me"

[bearclawmarks]

“I can’t be attracted to short mascs” “I want my masc taller than me” “I can’t let a short masc top me” skill issue lol

[official-linguistics-post]

They call me the agent nouner

loving the morphosyntactic implications of this construction (i.e., that "agent noun" is in fact a verb)

[raedear]

i do not apologise for the person i will become when the old guard 2 releases onto netflix on july 2nd, 2025

[rwuffles]

PROSGENDER．   ➷

pt: prosgender. end pt.

DEFINITION ⠀✦⠀ a gender that requires two components; this gender is x, but only if it's also y. i.e. when one's gender is feminine, but only if it's also a boy.

pt: definition, a gender that requires two components; this gender is x, but only if it's also y. i.e. when one's gender is feminine, but only if it's also a boy. end pt.

TAGS．  @radiomogai @sevvys @angeltism @zoeynovie @boingogender @pupcoins @somniabyte @monarchenwinter @the-astropaws @flutteringwings-coining @acronym-chaos @idwl @catboy-autism．  ➷

[etirabys]

the giant: [coding at 4:40am]

me: [coding at 4:40am]

me: you have... work... tomorrow. should you go to bed

the giant: yes... I can stop coding now, but I need to send a calendar invite and then I'll be ready to leave computer

me: okay. I'm not going to nag, but I will simply stand here, not going to sleep or coding myself, until you wrap up

the giant: <:o

me, 5 minutes later: [goes into my room, vaguely intending to go to bed; gets sucked into debugging the next issue]

door, another 5m later: [creaks open. IT'S HIM]

me: [horror movie grade level of fear at the impending callout]

[chunglesworth]

if ur still taking requests, can you draw MMA and Edgar hanging out? Idk what they'd be doing, but i don't see enough of them together!!! If you aren't taking requests i'd like to take the time to say ur art is so silly and awesome, I love the way you capture expressions lol.

I LOVE them. I wish to holy metal Jesus we got more of them cuz they were like actually friends... first time drawing Edgar lol. ALSO THANK YOU SO MUCH I LOVE drawing expressions…

[ducktracy]

I HAD A REALIZATION RECENTLY that was very illuminating in touching on some of my issues with how Daffy is characterized in the modern (post-60s) era: there are a few traits that remain consistent all throughout Daffy's evolution in the classics, and perhaps the most consistent of them all is his tenacity. if he has his mind set on something he is GOING FOR IT and WILL NOT STOP until he, in multiple proven cases, literally dies. whether that's heckling someone for his own enjoyment or trying to dethrone Bugs or get a quick buck or trying to mooch off of someone or ANYTHING. no matter the era he is incredibly driven and persistent, and so much of the comedy--particularly later on--comes from how much this constant sense of hyperdrive leads to his own failure. and even in shorts like Holiday for Drumsticks, which is all about him trying to starve a Thanksgiving turkey so he can get his food instead and watch him kill himself trying to lose it all, his scheme is still incredibly elaborate in all of the ways he gets the turkey to lose the weight, and he wastes no time attempting (in utter futility) to lose the weight that he himself put on when his life is now endangered. like, even his schemes to be a lazy slob are not at all lazy in their execution

and you have stuff like Duck Dodgers or The Looney Tunes Show coming in where his primary traits are his laziness and stupidity, BOTH OF WHICH ARE SO INCORRECT! i've gone on many spiels about how he's not at all stupid so i'll spare that, but i never thought much about the laziness thing. and it's.. mind boggling, because Daffy's tenacity is like the one incontestable, black and white, irrefutable consistency between all of his characterizations in the classics. i will say that hearing Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone say that they imagined Daffy's role in Duck Dodgers as its own separate character FROM Daffy has helped reconcile with a lot of "um he wouldn't do that"s that i have with the show, which i've also been overcoming a bit anyway because a) there are moments where he can prove himself, particularly earlier on, and b) i'm more able to accept the show for what it is and trying to do. unlike the latter. which i've also gone on many spiels about but coming to this realization has made me glare freshly-sharpened daggers at.

the stupidity thing still rubs me raw but i'm sympathetic because i can see how people might conflate his insanity/impulsiveness/doing stupid THINGS with actually stupidity. but making him lazy and having it be a sort of defining feature in recent decades is... shockingly antithetical to his character. like his whole thing is that he goes through all of these great lengths and puts in so much effort, whether it be refusing to stop bothering Porky or Elmer or doing all of these insane ways to upstage Bugs who gets applauded just for existing, etc. it's true that he does what he likes and has an indulgent personality, but never does he come off like a slob. in fact, he's been known to randomly call people sloppy/slovenly without any sort of reason behind it!! i swear there are just more and more ways that he's fundamentally misunderstood

it's funny that i'm using this comic example to close out, tangentially going back to the stupid thing/classic duck refuting modern duck trappings, because you probably can trace the beginnings of this mischaracterization to here, just as you can trace the ensemble-ification of the LT characters to the comics... but we at least have it straight from the duck's mouth that he's not a stooge

[modormouth]

vicar hatsune except she has green antlers and her hair has a deep green gradient on the tops like leeks. if u care.

[lionofchaeronea]

Harbored Boats on a Stormy Day, Anna Althea Hills, 1910

[nazarbabe]

alfons brainrot hours

[ranger-jahen]

OC Wardrobe

I was tagged for this a bunch of times a few weeks back. c: thank you to everyone who tagged me! <3 @riddlerosehearts @tillysketch @ignistigator @waterdhaviancheeses y'all are awesome!

I can't remember who else has done this off the top of my head xD but I'm gonna tentatively tag @rivereverie, @weirdest-wyrd, and @the-starflower, as well as extend an open invitation to anyone who'd like to jump in!

I stalled getting to it because I thought I might be able to scrounge up enough free time to draw a couple outfits, but alas, that did not happen. xD ah well. so here's my compilation post instead! ^u^

at the start of the story, Jahen wears a simple padded armor (far left pic), as it's exactly the sort of thing he dressed in for heavier adventuring days prior to the Nautiloid capture. as the stakes of the journey towards the Absolute continue to rise, he slowly updates his gear, first to a studded leather armor (middle pic) and finally, to the Yuan-ti Scale armor (dex armor bonus) once the band enters Act 3. the center row of scales on the Yuan-ti breastplate he took out and replaced with the simiarly-shaped pieces from the Adamantine scale armor (fellow party members received other pieces he carefully broke down from the moulded set, including the pauldrons for Shadowheart, the plated kilt for Lae'zel, the belt for Gale, and the poleyns for Karlach.)

As for his less-heavy adventuring days, when making use of his other skills like hunting, foraging, and exploring, Jahen would prioritize simplicity and range of motion above heavy protection, dressing in clothes that are sturdy enough to withstand weather and exertion but don't constrict or weigh him down. he makes uses of carefully crafted leather additions to protect wrists and shoulders, and in addition to gear he carries on his belt, he wears a small knife in a pouch around his neck, for use in cleaning small game, cutting rope or twine, or feathering kindling for starting fires. most of what he wears is in earthy, muted, or warm color palettes.

(above images taken from this post!)

finally, I also imagine Jahen more or less never owned or sought out fancy clothes for himself as he'd have no reason/occasion to wear them - until Wyll comes along, who wishes to both hold a wedding ceremony with Jahen as well as (very occasionally) take him to high-life events in Baldur's Gate when the opportunities present themselves. Jahen doesn't know what he likes though so the two of them ask Shadowheart & Astarion. Jahen's only request is that it's comfortable to wear. the above outfit is the result. :]

[bleaksqueak]

I was asked for a rat update a little while back when the house was still chaotic/ out of sorts, so I didn’t get a chance to answer before I got busy again… so!

For a mini rat update, check out how cute they were being today