Compounding, Clipping, Acronym and Blending

Word Formation: Compounding, Clipping, Acronym and BlendingThe word formation processes of compounding, clipping, and blending are important concepts when creating words. Also included for download are vocabulary lists of common English compounds, clipped words, and blends.·         CompoundingCompounding is the word formation process in which two or more lexemes combine into a single new word. Compound words may be written as one word or as two words joined with a hyphen. For example:noun-noun compound: note + book → notebookadjective-noun compound: blue + berry → blueberryverb-noun compound: work + room → workroomnoun-verb compound: breast + feed → breastfeedverb-verb compound: stir + fry → stir-fryadjective-verb compound: high + light → highlightverb-preposition compound: break + up → breakuppreposition-verb compound: out + run → outrunadjective-adjective compound: bitter + sweet → bittersweetpreposition-preposition compound: in + to → intoCompounds may be compositional, meaning that the meaning of the new word is determined by combining the meanings of the parts, or noncompositional, meaning that the meaning of the new word cannot be determined by combining the meanings of the parts. For example, a blueberry is a berry that is blue. However, a breakup is not a relationship that was severed into pieces in an upward direction.Compound nouns should not be confused with nouns modified by adjectives, verbs, and other nouns. For example, the adjective black of the noun phrase black bird is different from the adjective black of the compound noun blackbird in that black of black bird functions as a noun phrase modifier while the black of blackbird is an inseparable part of the noun: a black bird also refers to any bird that is black in color while a blackbird is a specific type of bird.·         ClippingClipping is the word formation process in which a word is reduced or shortened without changing the meaning of the word. Clipping differs from back-formation in that the new word retains the meaning of the original word. For example:advertisement – adalligator – gatorexamination – examgasoline – gasgymnasium – gyminfluenza – flulaboratory – labmathematics – mathmemorandum – memophotograph – photopublic house – pubraccoon – coonreputation – repsituation comedy – sitcomtelephone – phoneThe four types of clipping are back clipping, fore-clipping, middle clipping, and complex clipping. Back clipping is removing the end of a word as in gas from gasoline. Fore-clipping is removing the beginning of a word as in gator from alligator. Middle clipping is retaining only the middle of a word as in flu from influenza. Complex clipping is removing multiple parts from multiple words as in sitcom from situation comedy.·         BlendingBlending is the word formation process in which parts of two or more words combine to create a new word whose meaning is often a combination of the original words. For example:advertisement + entertainment → advertainmentbiographical + picture → biopicbreakfast + lunch → brunchchuckle + snort → chortlecybernetic + organism → cyborgguess + estimate → guesstimatehazardous + material → hazmatmotor + hotel → motelprim + sissy → prissysimultaneous + broadcast → simulcastsmoke + fog → smogSpanish + English → Spanglishspoon + fork → sporktelephone + marathon → telethonweb + seminar → webinarBlended words are also referred to as portmanteaus.·         Acronym An acronym is a word formed from the initial letters of a name (for example, NATO, from North Atlantic Treaty Organization) or by combining initial letters of a series of words (radar, from radio detection and ranging). Adjective: acronymic. Also called a protogram.Strictly speaking, says lexicographer John Ayto, an acronym "denotes a combinationpronounced as a word . . . rather than as just a sequence of letters" (A Century of New Words, 2007).An anacronym is an acronym (or otherinitialism) for which the expanded form isn't widely known or used, such as OSHA(Occupational Safety and Health Administration).These acronyms are very widely used, making them some of the most popular to appear in the English language.RADAR - Radio detecting andrangingLASER - Light amplification by the stimulated emission ofradiation.NATO - The North AtlanticTreaty Organization.UNICEF - The United NationsInternational Children'sEmergency Fund.SCUBA - Self-containedunderwater breathingapparatus.WASP - White anglo saxonprotestant.