derivation
Let an agent handle derivation as a word-formation process with a base, an affix or change, and a result, distinct from inflection.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
Let an agent handle derivation as a word-formation process with a base, an affix or change, and a result, distinct from inflection.
In linguistics, the formation of a new word from an existing one, usually by adding affixes or changing form, as in happy to happiness; more broadly, processes of word formation and change.
What it is for: Creating new words and describing how vocabularies grow.
It can be analyse a word into base and affixes; form new words productively; annotate derivations in lexicons; trace historical derivations.
Distinguishing features
Creates new lexemes, unlike inflection
Often changes word class
Productivity varies by affix
Related processes include compounding and conversion
What it looks like
Words with recognisable parts, such as un-, -ness, -ize, -ation.
How it is recognised
Prefixes and suffixes attached to a base
Changes in word class, as in noun to verb
Inflections, such as plural -s, are not derivations
Related models
is a kind of - process
is confused with - grammatical forms of a word
is studied by - morphology
is confused with - a homonym
In practice
Families and kinds
prefixation and suffixation
conversion (zero derivation)
back-formation
derivational processes in other languages such as infixes
Standards and regulation
Lexicographic conventions for derived forms
Universal Dependencies morphological annotation
Failure modes and hazards
Folk etymologies presented as derivations
Confusing derivation and inflection in annotation
Overgeneralising affixes
Also called
+29
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Also registered as vr.tr.derivation-act
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Structure Base and affix.
A derivation has a base and a process.
Base
Source word.
Base
The base word.
- What is the base word? definition
- What class is it? definition
Process
Affix or change.
Process
The derivational process.
- Which affix or change produces the new word? definition
- Does it change the word class? definition
Meaning What the derived word means.
Derivation shifts meaning in patterned ways.
Semantics
Meaning change.
Meaning change
The meaning contribution.
- What meaning does the affix add? definition
- Is the result transparent? boundary
Productivity
How freely it applies.
Productivity
Productivity of the pattern.
- How productive is this pattern? measurement
- Which bases does it avoid? boundary
History Etymology.
Historical derivations must rest on evidence.
Etymology
Origin.
Etymology
Documented origin.
- What is the documented etymology? provenance
- Is a popular etymology wrong? boundary
Change
Semantic and form change.
Change
Changes over time.
- How has the form or meaning changed? provenance
- When? measurement
Annotation Recording derivations.
Consistent annotation supports tools.
Scheme
Morphological annotation.
Scheme
Annotation scheme.
- How is the derivation annotated? provenance
- Is it distinguished from inflection? boundary
Lexicon
Dictionary entries.
Lexicon
Dictionary treatment.
- Is the derived word listed separately in dictionaries? provenance
- How is its base linked? definition
What the second pass must settle
- Should derivational affixes be separate entries?
- How should derivations be annotated across languages?
- The registry entry has merged aliases such as grammaticalization; should they be split off?