2. OUTLINE
a. The Meaning of Back-Formation
b. The difference between Back-Formation & Clipping
c. The Period of Back-Formation
d. The process of Back-Formation
e. The types of Back-Formation
f. The Result of Back-Formation
g. Back formation and comic effect (Humorous)
h. Additional information of Back-Formation
i. Conclusion
j. References
3. The Meaning of Back-Formation
• Back-formation is a type of word formation in which a new word created by
removing an affix from an already existing word.
• In etymology, back-formation is the process of creating a new lexeme by
removing actual or supposed affixes.
• The resulting neologism is called a back-formation, a term coined by James Murray
in 1889.
• Back-formation may change the part of speech or the word's meaning,
4. The Period of Back-Formation
• The term back-formation goes back to at least the 1880s. However, the
actual process of back-formation in English started long before that. For
example, the verb laze emerged as a back-formation of the adjective lazy
clear back in the 1500s. Pea came from pease about the early 1600s.
Scavenge came from scavenger later in the 1600s. Donate back-formed
from donation in the 1700s. Back-formation has remained a popular way of
creating new words ever since those early years.
5. Back-Formations and Mistakes
Backformation is generally the result of a false but plausible
morphological analysis of the word;
• resurrect resurrection
• typewrite typewriter
• televise television
• beg beggar
• peddle Peddler
• swashbuckle swashbuckler.
• asset assets
• escalate escalator
• swindle swindler
6. The process of Back-Formation
a. By removing the prefix from the originating word
e.g. couth uncouth, gruntle disgruntle, and kempt unkempt, pervious
impervious, chalant nonchalant), ept inept), sheveled disheveled), etc.
b. By removing the suffix from the originating word
e.g. analyze analysis, cobble cobbler, eponym eponymous, partake
partaker, Enthuse enthusiasm
peddle peddler, resurrect resurrection, sculpt sculptor, upholster
upholsterer, etc. kidnap from kidnapper
Another large group consists of those with a deleted -y. Examples: flab (from
flabby), funk (from funky), jell (from jelly), sleaze (from sleazy), sulk (from
sulky). and upholster (from upholstery).
7. Types of Back-Formation
Back-Formation based on a simple word (in the sense of a one-root word)
Beggar N Beg V
Liaison N Liaise V
Destruction N Destruct V
Back-Formation involving a compound-form base.
Baby-sitterN baby-sitV
BrainwashingN brainwashV
Jam-packedA jam-packV
Self-destruction N Self-destruct V
8. The result of Back-Formation
Back-formation changes the part of speech or the word's meaning
Noun Verb Adjective → Noun
Administration NAdministrateV Greedy greed
AutomationN automate V Paramedical paramedic
Editor N edit V Sleazy sleaze
Adverb → Adjective Noun → Adjective
Sideling sidle Homesickness homesick
Darkling darkle Greensickness greensick
Gingerly ginger Gullibility gullible
Plural → Singular
Biceps -> bicep
Assets -> asset
9. Back formation and comic effect
(Humorous)
• Apart from filling lexical gaps, it can also be used for great comic
effect. Creating new words by non-standard derivation is an
important part of punning.
E.g. A friend complained recently that he had been asked to be an
usher at a third wedding this year. He exclaimed indignantly:
'Do I look like a man who likes to ush? Do they think I enjoy
ushing?!' Comedians use it too. An old favorite is the joke which
goes 'Do you enjoy Kipling?' and the answer comes 'I can't rightly
say. I've never kipled'.
By Oscar Wilde : 'Do you have anything to declare?' and he replies
'How can I? I haven't clared anything yet?'.
10. Additional information of Back-Formation
• The analysis showed that most back-formations are nouns and verbs. In great
majority of cases back-formation is dominated by deleting the suffix of the source
word.
• (Adams, 105), Verbs created by backformation usually have regular past forms.
• Many back-formations are formed from words ending in -tion, such as automate
and deconstruct
• Often back-formations start out colloquial and still sound strange for a while before
they become commonly known words.
11. Conclusion
Back-formation is creating a new word (neologism) by removing an affix from an
already existing word whereby some new words are back-formed due to
misidentified affixes. The actual process of back-formation in English started long
before 1880s. The process of it is either by deleting the prefix or the suffix of the
original word form. It changes the part of speech or the word's meaning. It can also
be used for creating a humorous speech. Most back-formations eventually take their
place among other standard terms, though they are often initially met with
skepticism. To know which word came first can be answered from a study of their
etymology.
12. References
• Adams, Valerie, Introduction to Modern English Word-Formation.
Longman, Harlow 1988.
• Akmajian, A., R. Demers, and R. Harnish, Introduction to Language
and Communication. Cambridge, The MIT press, 1984.
• Laurel J. Brinton, The Structure of Modern English: A Linguistic
Introduction. John Benjamins, 2000.
• www.bartleby.com/185/27/html
