SEMANTICS
BACK-FORMATION
Compiled by Group 8:
1. Annisa Rizki Amaliah (E1D 111 008)
2. Auliadinati Annieta J. (E1D 111 014)
3. Baiq Fatma Amalia (E1D 111 017)
4. Baiq Lisdiana Apriani (E1D 111 018)
Class: V/A (noon class)
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
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,
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.
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
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).
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
The result of Back-Formation
Back-formation changes the part of speech or the word's meaning
Noun  Verb Adjective → Noun
Administration NAdministrateV 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
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?'.
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.
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.
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

BACK-FORMATION II.pptx

  • 1.
    SEMANTICS BACK-FORMATION Compiled by Group8: 1. Annisa Rizki Amaliah (E1D 111 008) 2. Auliadinati Annieta J. (E1D 111 014) 3. Baiq Fatma Amalia (E1D 111 017) 4. Baiq Lisdiana Apriani (E1D 111 018) Class: V/A (noon class)
  • 2.
    OUTLINE a. The Meaningof 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 ofBack-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 ofBack-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 Backformationis 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 ofBack-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 ofBack-Formation Back-formation changes the part of speech or the word's meaning Noun  Verb Adjective → Noun Administration NAdministrateV 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 andcomic 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 ofBack-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 creatinga 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