Tripoli University

Faculty of Languages
Post-graduate Studies program

Written By :
Saleh Ali Abu Hussain

Supervised by :

SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 5 Dr. Nadia Nuseir

WORD FORMATION
 Word Formation
Word formation is the process by which new words are created in a language. There are
several types of word formation processes, including derivation, compounding,
blending, clipping, backformation, and conversion. Here are examples of each process:
1. Derivation: This process involves adding prefixes or suffixes to existing words to
create new words. For example, "unhappy" is derived from "happy" by adding the
prefix "un-," and "boyish" is derived from "boy" by adding the suffix "-ish."
2. Compounding: This process involves combining two or more words to create a
new word. For example, "bookcase" is a compound of "book" and "case," and
"doorknob" is a compound of "door" and "knob."
3. Blending: This process involves combining the beginnings of two words to create
a new word. For example, "gasohol" is a blend of "gasoline" and "alcohol," and
"smog" is a blend of "smoke" and "fog."
4. Clipping: This process involves reducing a word to a shorter form, usually in
casual speech. For example, "gasoline" is often referred to as "gas," and
"advertisement" is often referred to as "ad."
5. Backformation: This process involves creating a new word by reducing a word of
one type (usually a noun) to form a word of another type (usually a verb). For
example, "television" was backformed from "televise."
6. Conversion: This process involves changing the function of a word, such as when
a noun comes to be used as a verb. For example, "bottle" can be used as a verb
to mean "to bottle."
7. Acronyms: These are new words formed from the initial letters of a set of other
words, such as "CD" for "compact disk" or "VCR" for "video cassette recorder."
In conclusion, the “word formation” unit provides a comprehensive overview of
word formation in English, providing numerous examples and insights into how
new words are formed and added to the dictionary emphasizing complex language
characteristics and emphasizing that it is constantly changing.