University of Split

Extending old words

Student: Melani Grubi Mikuli Tutor: prof.dr.sc. Danica kara

Split, 2017
 Introduction
Humans use words creatively and
innovatively

Mental lexicon expansion of old words

and creation of new ones

Metaphor as the main concept of

extending meaning
 Prototypical metaphors
Metaphors break typical condition
sometimes not used properly
e.g. Her breasts were cabbages.

Items in metaphorical relation shouldnt be

too similar, but they need to share at least
one characteristic
 Narrowing down the range
Items may share more than one
characteristic
e.g. Gina is such a panda. cuddly,
clumsy, big ?

Poets sometimes intentionally make

interpretation difficult and incomprehensible
narrowing not possible
 ...we barred the windows and the doors,
As from an emerald ghost,
The doom's electric moccasin
That very instant passed.
Emily Dickinson
There Came a Wind Like a Bugle

Producing and understanding metaphor requires

complex matching skills
Human body as the highest source of metaphor
 Creating new words

Human language production of an

endless number of new words
If used constantly, some of them even
enter dictionaries e.g. selfie, hashtag

How do people perform this task ?

 Coinage

Derivation
Borrowing

Compounding
Acronyms
WORD FORMATION

Blending
Conversion

Backformation Clipping
 Process of creating new
words flexibility of
humand mind

Lexical tool kit

instructions on how to form
new words

Menatal lexicon not fixed

dictionary, but an active
system
KNOW YOUR ACRONYM

ASAP VIP
B&B PIN
FYI PI
GMO ET
PB&J TGIF
RPG DIY
UFO OCD
FAQ RIP
THANK YOU FOR YOUR
ATTENTION!