Meaning of back-formation | Babel Free
Definitions
- The process by which a new word is formed from an older word by interpreting the former as a derivative of the latter, often by removing a morpheme (real or perceived) from the older word, such as the verb burgle, formed by removing -ar (perceived as an agent-noun suffix) from burglar.
- A word created in this way.
Equivalents
Deutsch
Rückbildung
Ελληνικά
αναδρομικός σχηματισμός
Italiano
retroformazione
日本語
逆成
Nederlands
terugvorming
Polski
derywacja wsteczna
Português
derivação regressiva
Română
derivare regresivă
Русский
обра́тное словообразова́ние
Examples
“Back-formations, such as "tambour" (for "play the tambourine"), are a staple of comedic wordplay.”
CEFR level
C2
Mastery
This word is part of the CEFR C2 vocabulary — mastery level.
This word is part of the CEFR C2 vocabulary — mastery level.
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