Linguistics Word Formation Quiz

Two or more words in the same language that have the same origin but have evolved differently through different routes.

Words borrowed from Latin and Greek languages, mainly used in scientific and academic contexts.

The core element of a word's meaning, typically a single morpheme that carries the central concept.

Words formed by adding affixes (prefixes or suffixes) to a root word.

A word created by combining parts of two or more existing words.

A word created by taking the initial letters of two or more words and pronouncing them as a single word.

A shortened form of a longer word, usually by removing one or more syllables.

The process of word formation, including morphemic structure and ways of building new words.

Words that have the same meanings and can be used interchangeably.

Words with opposite meanings.

The study of set phrases and expressions that are commonly used together.

A group of words commonly used together with a specific meaning.

Words that have the same pronunciation but different meanings and spellings.

A scientific approach to studying language that focuses on the present-day structure and function of language, analyzing the system at a specific point in time.

A scientific approach to studying language that focuses on how language has changed over time, tracing its historical development and evolution.

The process of creating new words by adding prefixes or suffixes to existing words.

The process of creating new words by combining two or more existing words.

A prefix is a morpheme that comes before the root and can modify the meaning of the stem.

A suffix is a morpheme that comes after the root and can change the stem's word class, creating a derivative with a different grammatical function.

A morpheme is the smallest meaningful unit of language.

Morphemes are classified into two main categories: roots and affixes. Roots are the core meaningful units of a word, while affixes are morphemes that are added to roots to change their meaning or grammatical function.

The process of forming a new word from an existing one without adding any affixes, changing its grammatical function, and altering its meaning.

This approach examines language at a specific point in time, focusing on how words function without considering their historical development.

This approach investigates language changes over time, tracing the evolution of words and grammatical structures.

Words formed by combining two or more words. They can be written as one word (e.g., "firsthand"), two words (e.g., "green house"), or with a hyphen (e.g., "care-house").

A process where a new word is formed by adding a suffix to an adjective to create a noun (e.g., "happy" + "-ness" = "happiness").

The process of shortening a word by taking away a portion and using it as a substitute for the whole word (e.g., "telephone" becomes "phone").

A process where a new word is formed by removing a real or supposed suffix from an existing word (e.g., "enthuse" from "enthusiasm").

The study of the origin and historical development of words, examining how their meanings and forms have changed over time.

The study of word meanings, including how they evolve, are related to each other, and are used in different contexts.

The science and practice of compiling dictionaries, including choosing words, defining them, and organizing information.

The ability of words to express different styles depending on the context or situation. Words can have similar meanings but be used in different ways depending on formality, tone, and audience.

The way a word is used in a sentence influences its meaning. For example, the same word can have different meanings depending on its grammatical function and position in the sentence.

The study of a language's vocabulary, including the meanings, origins, and structures of words. It explores how words are organized, used, and interact with each other.

Affixes that are frequently used in word derivation and have a wide range of meanings.

Affixes that are added to the end of a word to form nouns, such as '-er', '-ing', '-ness', '-ism', '-ist' and '-ance'.

Affixes that are added to the end of a word to form adjectives, such as '-y', '-ish', '-ed', '-able', and '-less'.

Affixes that are added to the end of a word to form verbs, such as '-ize' and '-ate'.

Words formed by combining two or more existing words, where the meaning can be easily understood from the combined parts.

Words formed by combining two or more existing words, where the meaning is partially clear from the combined parts.

Words formed by combining two or more existing words, where the meaning cannot be easily understood from the combined parts.