BACK FORMATION AS A MINOR PROCESS OF WORD FORMATION

Abstract

Back-formation is a process of English word creation that, due to its irregular nature in terms of form and meaning, has yielded numerous plausible interpretations from linguistic researchers in terms of how it functions on non-affixed words that are interpreted as complicated by speakers. These interpretations are based on how back-formation acts on non-affixed words that are interpreted as complex by people. This study will examine the similarities and differences between clipping and back-formation, as well as the typology of back-formation, with the goal of shedding light on the possible workings of the mechanism that may be responsible for the development of new words. Because it is also predicated on a description of this process of word construction in Middle English as well as modern English, the technique that this research study employs can be categorized as descriptive.

Keywords: Back-formation, clipping, mechanism, typology, methodology, descriptive.