derivational
Creating new words
Derivational describes word formation processes that create new words by adding prefixes or suffixes to existing ones, often changing the part of speech or core meaning.
Adding -ness to happy creates happiness; adding un- to kind creates unkind.
This contrasts with inflectional changes, which modify a word's grammatical function without creating a new word (like adding -s for plurals).
Derivational is used primarily in linguistics and language teaching.
Word-part modifier
- suffixWord-ending addition
- prefixRoot-modifying front element
- morphemeSmallest meaningful language unit
- stemPlant's central axis
base · affixation · inflection · productive · paradigm · conjugation · declension · nominalization
Elements merging progressively
- blendingCombining into uniformity
- back-formationWord created by deletion
- conversionAct of changing states
- clippingPiece cut out
portmanteau · neologism · coinage · analogy · reanalysis · productivity · deadjectival
Underground absorbing structure
- originStarting point or source
- cognateWord sharing etymological origin
- proto-languageReconstructed common ancestor tongue
- borrowingTemporary taking of another's
loanword · calque · ancestry · philology · word origin · Indo-European · Germanic · inherited
affix
Word-part modifier
- suffixWord-ending addition
- prefixRoot-modifying front element
- morphemeSmallest meaningful language unit
stem · base · affixation · inflection · productive · paradigm · conjugation · declension · nominalization · verbalization
compounding
Elements merging progressively
- blendingCombining into uniformity
- back-formationWord created by deletion
- conversionAct of changing states
clipping · portmanteau · neologism · coinage · analogy · reanalysis · productivity · deadjectival
root
Underground absorbing structure
- originStarting point or source
- cognateWord sharing etymological origin
- proto-languageReconstructed common ancestor tongue
borrowing · loanword · calque · ancestry · philology · word origin · Indo-European · Germanic · inherited · native
- zero derivationClass change sans morphology