COMPLEX WORD
COMPLEX WORD. A WORD consisting of a base and one or more derivational elements: unlikely (un-, like, -ly); vitality (vit-, -al, -ity). In origin and structural type, there are four kinds of complex word in English: (1) Vernacular. Formed on ‘native’ principles, but including some long-established words of LATIN, GREEK, and FRENCH background: darkness, womanhood, beefy, priestly. Such words may have equivalents in the GERMANIC LANGUAGES: English unmanly, German unmännlich. (2) Romance. Formed on Latinate principles. Many such words are structurally (though not phonologically) identical or similar in English and the Romance languages: English impossible, discrimination; French impossible, discrimination; SPANISH impossible, discriminación. (3) Greek. Formed on principles adapted from classical Greek through NEO-LATIN. Many such words are structurally similar in English and Greek: English dogmatic, magnetism, Greek dogmatikós, magnetismós. (4) Hybrid. A mix of the above: uncreative mixes vernacular un- with Latin cre- and -ative; ethically mixes Greek eth- and -ic with Latin -al and vernacular -ly. See COMBINING FORM, COMPOUND-COMPLEX WORD, DERIVATION, PREFIX, SUFFIX, WORD-FORMATION.
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Monosyllable , MONOSYLLABLE, formerly also monosyllabon. A WORD of one SYLLABLE. ‘Native’ English is often said to be inherently monosyllabic (‘Words monosillable w… Word , WORD
WORD A fundamental term in both the general and technical discussion of language. The following selection of primary definitions of word is draw… Cognate , cog·nate / ˈkägˌnāt/ • adj. 1. Linguistics (of a word) having the same linguistic derivation as another; from the same original word or root (e.g., E… Astrobleme , COMBINING FORM In WORD-FORMATION, a BASE designed to combine with another, either also a combining form or a free word: bio- with -graphy to form bio… Spell , SPELLING The act, process, or system of relating speech sounds to LETTERS and to the written form of WORDS. The spelling system of an alphabetic lang… Derivation , DERIVATION.
1. A process through which one WORD, PHRASE, or SENTENCE is formed from another: passive sentences (They were met by a friend) are often…
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COMPLEX WORD