3.5.4
Lexical Change
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Innovative Lexical Change
Lederer (and other linguists) have theorised about the ways in which new words can make it into our language. We can sort these changes into ‘innovations’ (changing something which exists) and ‘inventions’ (creating something new entirely).
Blending
- Blending:
- When two existing words are fused to make one new word.
- For example, smoke and fog forming smog.
- When two existing words are fused to make one new word.
Clipping
- Clipping:
- When part of a word is removed, but the meaning is virtually the same.
- For example, ‘sync’ from ‘synchronise’.
- When part of a word is removed, but the meaning is virtually the same.
Compounding
- Compounding:
- When two existing words are stuck together as they are to form a new word.
- For example, ‘black’ and ‘bird’ to form ‘blackbird’.
- When two existing words are stuck together as they are to form a new word.
Conversion
- Conversion (sometimes called a function-shift):
- The word class of an existing word is changed.
- For example, from ‘text’ the noun (‘I sent a text’) to ‘text’ the verb (‘I’ll text him’).
- The word class of an existing word is changed.
Derivation
- Derivation (sometimes more broadly called affixation):
- Adding a bound morpheme to change the word class of a word.
- For example, adding ‘-ing’ onto the noun ‘text’ to form the present progressive verb ‘texting’.
- Adding a bound morpheme to change the word class of a word.
Back formation
- Back formation:
- The removal of a morpheme in order to change the word class of an existing word.
- For example, the verb ‘enthuse’ comes from the noun ‘enthusiasm’.
- The removal of a morpheme in order to change the word class of an existing word.
Reduplication
- Reduplication:
- The repetition of words which are the same or very similar.
- For example, ‘nitty-gritty’.
- The repetition of words which are the same or very similar.
Inventive Lexical Change
Lederer (and other linguists) have theorised about the ways in which new words can make it into our language. We can sort these changes into ‘innovations’ (changing something which exists) and ‘inventions’ (creating something new entirely).
Neologising
- Neologising (sometimes called a coinage):
- Making up a brand-new word.
- For example, the word ‘yeet’ which occurred in the past few years.
- Making up a brand-new word.
Borrowing
- Borrowing:
- Words are taken from another language.
- For example, ‘person’ is a borrowing from the Latin ‘persona’.
- Words are taken from another language.
Acronymising
- Acronymising:
- Forming a word which is said as a word and is formed of the initials from what it is describing.
- For example, ‘SCUBA’ for ‘Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus’.
- Forming a word which is said as a word and is formed of the initials from what it is describing.
Initialising
- Initialising:
- Forming a word which is said as the individual letters formed of the initials from what it is describing.
- For example, ‘BBC’ for the ‘British Broadcasting Corporation’.
- Forming a word which is said as the individual letters formed of the initials from what it is describing.
Eponyming
- Eponyming:
- Forming a word based on a brand name or a person’s name.
- For example, ‘hoover’ for vacuuming from the brand ‘Hoover’.
- Forming a word based on a brand name or a person’s name.
1Language Levels
1.1Assessment Objectives
1.2Lexis
1.2.1Introduction1.2.2Common, Proper, Abstract & Concrete Nouns1.2.3Collective Nouns1.2.4Adjectives1.2.5Main, Auxiliary & Copular Verbs1.2.6Dynamic & Stative Verbs1.2.7Transitive, Intransitive, Active & Passive Verbs1.2.8Mood of Verbs1.2.9Adverbs1.2.10Personal, Possessive & Reflexive Pronouns1.2.11Relative & Demonstrative Pronouns1.2.12Determiners1.2.13Conjunctions1.2.14Synonyms, Antonyms & Phonological Features1.2.15End of Topic Test - Lexis
1.3Grammar
1.4Semantics & Pragmatics
1.5Discourse Structure, Graphology & Orthography
2Language, The Individual & Society
2.1Children’s Language Development
2.2Children's Language Development - Theories
2.3Literacy Development: Reading
3Language Diversity & Change
3.1The Importance of Gendered Language
3.2Social Groups
3.3Occupational Groups
3.4Accents & Dialects
3.5Language Change
Jump to other topics
1Language Levels
1.1Assessment Objectives
1.2Lexis
1.2.1Introduction1.2.2Common, Proper, Abstract & Concrete Nouns1.2.3Collective Nouns1.2.4Adjectives1.2.5Main, Auxiliary & Copular Verbs1.2.6Dynamic & Stative Verbs1.2.7Transitive, Intransitive, Active & Passive Verbs1.2.8Mood of Verbs1.2.9Adverbs1.2.10Personal, Possessive & Reflexive Pronouns1.2.11Relative & Demonstrative Pronouns1.2.12Determiners1.2.13Conjunctions1.2.14Synonyms, Antonyms & Phonological Features1.2.15End of Topic Test - Lexis
1.3Grammar
1.4Semantics & Pragmatics
1.5Discourse Structure, Graphology & Orthography
2Language, The Individual & Society
2.1Children’s Language Development
2.2Children's Language Development - Theories
2.3Literacy Development: Reading
3Language Diversity & Change
3.1The Importance of Gendered Language
3.2Social Groups
3.3Occupational Groups
3.4Accents & Dialects
3.5Language Change
Practice questions on Lexical Change
Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
- 1
- 2What type of inventive lexical change is the word ‘yeet’?Multiple choice
- 3Which of these is an example of acronymising? Multiple choice
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