Growth of Vocabulary

 Growth of Vocabulary


Borrowing words from other languages, forming new words by adding prefixes and suffixes to the words are some of the ways to which new words are added to the vocabulary. There is an internal growth, a development within the language. There are three major and basic principles for the growth of language and word formation. i) Composition or Compounding ii) Root Creation iii) Derivation



Different types of word formation:

Onomatopoeia: it is the oldest method of sound making, by which language itself originated. Onomatopoeia words are words which echo the sense. 

eg. hiss, buzz, quack, bang, cuckoo, giggle. 

it is also known as imitation. At an advanced level, there are some consonant combination which suggest some ideas.

 eg 'fl' combinations indicating speed and hurry: fly, flight, flee, flicker

Abbreviation: It is also known as shortening or clipping. There are two kinds of abbreviations: aphesis and apocopy. 

a) Aphesis: occurred in the Old English period. It is the omission of an initial unaccented unstressed sound usually a vowel. 

eg. Spice< esppice, State< estate, Sport < disport etc

b) Apocopy: It is the omisiion of a final sound or syllable. This kind of change was apparent in English right from Old English to modern English. But examples of this change was seen only in th 17th C. 'cit' from citizen, 'mob' mobile, 'photo' from photograph etc. The names of different forms of liquor are also shorter forms. 

eg: rum from rumbullian, whisky from ukujbov etc.

Syncopation: It is a process where a vowel sound is elided or omitted. The vowel in the middle is omitted and the consonant on either side run together.

eg: once from oens, else from elles, hence from henes.

Telescoping: it is somewhat similar to syncopation. In this process, two words run together. 

eg: to don from to do on, to doff from to do off, pinafore from pin  and afore 

Metathesis: is an incorrect division of two words. The word we get finally is etymologically incorrect. It is the transposition of sounds or letters in a word.

eg: a napron becoming an apron, an ickname becoming a nickname etc.

Portmanteau words: it is also known as hybrid words or blending. It is a coining of a new word from two parts of two different words to yield to the meaning of the original word, It was Lewis Carrol who introduced this word.

eg. gig and humanity= gigmanity, gallop and triumph= galumph, chuckle and snort= chortle, melody and drama=melodrama etc.

Back formation: New words are formed through misunderstandings. It is a mistaken assumption from previously existing words taken to be the derivative. 

eg. groveling meant adverb meaning in an abject manner. This word was mistaken to be present participle. To grovel was coined from this which means to crouch, or crawl on the ground, to act humble, to obtain forgiveness or favour.

Reduplication: A formation of compound words by varying a vowel sound or a consonant sound. 

eg. shillyshally, willy-nilly, roly-poly

Freak formation: Words formed of misunderstanding with a peculiarity attached to it.

eg: teetotaler, There was no such word originally. It was the result of a stammering person to pronounce the word 'total abstainer'.

Antonomation: New words were coined from proper nouns. 

eg: Grundyism from Mrs. Grundy, Malapropism from Mrs. Malaprop, Lilliputian from Lilliput etc.

Acronym: An acronym is a word formed from the initial letters of other words.

eg: LASER: Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation

AIDS: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

goodbye- God Be With You.

Prepared by:

Dr. Susan Mathew

CMS College Kottayam

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