Mechanisms of Word
Formation
1. DERIVATION – adding a prefix or suffix to an existing
word
Ex. Happy + ness = happiness
Realize + tion = realization
Love + able = lovable
Friend + ship = friendship
(-less, -ful, -acy, -ly, -ive, -ish, -ate, -en, -ual, -hood,
-tion, -ty, re-, un-, im-, dis-, pre-, in-)
2. COMPOUNDING – formed by joining two or more words
a. Open Compound Words (with space):
black eye class card
dining room remote control
heart attack roller coaster
hot dog washing machine
full moon video game
cell phone role model
post office peanut butter prime
French fries minister
life jacket ice cream
First aid common sense
2. COMPOUNDING – formed by joining two or more words
b. Closed Compound Words (without space):
Bedroom Firefly
Breakfast Grandparents
Checkout Headquarters
Daylight Handshake
Gentleman Outside
Lipstick Rainbow
Keyboard Smartphone
Notebook Weekend
Classroom Undercover
Forever Payday
2. COMPOUNDING – formed by joining two or more words
a. Hyphenated Compound Words (with hyphen):
Check-in Topsy-turvy
Editor-in-chief Word-of-mouth
Empty-handed Two-dimensional
Father-in-law Over-the-counter
Know-how Long-distance
life-size Merry-go-round
One-sided All-you-can-eat
Long-term 3-year-old
Runner-up Clean-cut
Well-being Up-to-date
3. REPURPOSING – using words from one context to another
context
Ex. Computer mouse (taken after a long-tailed animal)
Viral (taken from an infectious agent, virus)
Junk, motherboard, cellular (phone),
4. CONVERSION – transplanting one word class to another
word class
a. Noun to Verb
The murderer was stoned to death.
b. Adjective to Verb
Always empty the litter bin before leaving the room.
c. Verb to Noun
We luckily got an entry permit.
d. Noun to Adjective
I saw a giant dog outside our house
5. EPONYMS – words formed after a person’s name
Ex. He has an Alzheimer’s disease.
(After Alois Alzheimer, a German psychiatrist and
neuropathologist, affects memory and thinking behavior)
He’s clearly a narcissist for flattering his own self all the
time and disregarding other’s feelings.
(Narcissus, a mythological character who ignores other’s
feelings and shows self-obsession) Charles Boycott, Gabriel
Daniel Fahrenheit, Caesar Cardini, Jean Nicot, Rudolph Diesel,
Anders Celsius, Gabriello Fallopio, George Washington Gale
Ferris Jr., Sylvester Graham
6. ABBREVIATIONS
a. Clipping (shortening or truncation) – cutting the
beginning or the end of a word
Back-clipped : the ending of the word is removed
(examination – exam)
Fore-clipped : the beginning of the word is removed
(telephone – phone)
Middle clipping : the middle of the word is retained
(influeza – flu)
Complex clipping : multiple parts is removed
(situational comedy – sitcom)
6. ABBREVIATIONS
a. Clipping (shortening or truncation) – cutting the beginning or
the end of a word
Ad (vertisement) Memo(randum)
Gym (nasium) Prof(essor)
Photo (graph) (In)flu(enza)
Bike (cycle) Math(ematics)
(Tele) Phone Lab(oratory)
Exam (ination) Abs(dominal)
Gas (oline) Admin(istration)
(Re)fridge(rator) Apps(lication)
Café(teria) Bra(ssier)
6. ABBREVIATIONS
b. Acronyms – words formed by the initials or succession of
beginning segments of words and pronounced as single word
Lolo
ISU Laser
Asap NASA
YOLO PAGASA
Pin ISELCO
Radar NAWASA
LED AWOL
SCUBA Aids
Lol Sim card
6. ABBREVIATIONS
c. Initialism – building words from the initial letters in a phrase
or name
DNA
SSC
OMG
BSE
FBI
NBA
PNP
UFO
GMA
BIR
ABS CBN
USA
FAQ
PIO
7. LOAN WORDS – words borrowed from other language
Tycoon (Japanese) Loan words from Greek/Latin:
Tattoo (Tahitian) Dialogue – dialogos
Pasta (Italian) Anonymous – anonumos
Patio (Spanish) Idol – eidolon
Café (French) Antique – antiquus
Rancho (Spanish) Architect – architectus
Cello (Italian) Microscope – Microscopium
Grammar – gramaire (Anglo-
French)
8. ONOMATOPEIA– creation of a word by imitating the sound it
makes
1. Both bees and buzzers buzz.
2. The cash register popped open with a heart-warming ca-ching.
3. The dishes fell to the floor with a clatter.
4. The dim-witted pigeon repulsed us with its nerve-crawling coo.
5. If you have hiccups, you should try to drink a glass of water.
6. If you see anyone coming, honk your horn.
7. That cat will keep meowing until you pet it.
8. While lounging in the slop pile, the pigs oinked excitedly.
9. Most cats purr if you pet them behind the ears.
10. Our peaceful dinner ended when the phone began ringing.
9. REDUPLICATION – the repetition or near-repetition of words or
sound
Types: Types: Types:
a. Exact reduplication: b. Rhyming reduplication: c. Ablaut reduplication:
Baa-baa Picnic Chit-chat
Choo-choo easy-peasy Criss-cross
Blah-blah Eenie-meenie Dilly-dally
Bling-bling Artsy-fartsy Ding-dong
Bye-bye Boogie-woogie Fiddle-faddle
Chop-chop Okey-dokey Jibber jabber
Boo-boo Hanky-panky Flip-flop
So-so itsy-bitsy Hip-hop
Yum-yum hocus-pocus Ping-pong
super-duper
10. BLENDING – taking two or more words, removing parts of
each, and joining the residues together
Electronic + execute = Electrocute
Motor + cavalcade = motorcade
Worldwide web + seminar = webinar
Breakfast + lunch =
Emotion + icon =
Smoke + fog =
Camera + recorder =
Internet + etiquette =
MECHANISMS OF WORD FORMATION
1. DERIVATION 6. ABBREVIATIONS
2. COMPOUNDING a. Clipping, Acronym, Initialism
3. REPURPOSING 7. LOAN WORDS
4. CONVERSION 8. ONOMATOPEIA
5. EPONYMS 9. REDUPLICATION
10. BLENDING
