Chapter 3   Minor Word Formation (2)

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Contents: minor ways of word formation, including blending, clipping, acronym, back-formation, sound reduplication and communization of proper names. 

Abbreviation(Shortening)
     A. Clippedwords
     Clipped words are those created by clipping part of aword, leaving only a piece of the old word. The shortening may occur at thebeginning of the word (telephone → phone, helicopter → copter); at the end ofthe word (modern → mod, professional → pro); at both ends of the word(detective → tec, refrigerator → fridge). The clipped form is normally regardedas informal.
     B. Initialisms
     Initialisms are words formed from the initial lettersof words and pronounced as letters: IMF / 'ai em 'ef / = International MonetaryFund; IOC / 'ai au 'si: / = International Olympic Committee; C.O.D. / 'si: au'di: / = cash on delivery.
     C. Acronyms
     Acronyms are words formed from the initial letters ofwords and pronounced as words: NATO / 'neitau / = North Atlantic TreatyOrganization; SALT / so:lt / = Strategic Arms Limitation Talks.
 Blending
     Another source of word formation which creates a wordby combining parts of other words is called blending: smog, brunch, twirl,smaze, chortle, sprig. Each of these is made up of the first part of one wordand the second part of another: smoke + fog = smog; breakfast + lunch = brunch;twist + whirl = twirl; smoke + haze = smaze; chuckle + snort = chortle. Wordsformed by blending are known as blends or portmanteaus.
     Blends are popularly supposed to have originated withLewis Carroll, but the word "gingerly" goes all the way back to"ginger" crossed with Middle English "genitor", akin to"gentle" and "genteel". Blends originally occurred ashumourous coinages. But with the passage of time, blending has become one ofthe important processes of word-formation and provided a considerable number ofnew words for contemporary English: carbecue (car + barbecue); plugola (plug +payola); memcon (memorandum + conversation); comsat (communications +satellite); mascon (mass + concentration); helicox (helium + oxygen);stagflation, (stagnation + inflation); reprography (reproduction + photography)and many others.

 Acronymy

1.     EEC = European Economic Community

   OPEC =Organization of petroleum exporting countries

   SLAM =Supersonic low altitude missile

       Strategic low altitude missile

   ELSS =extravehicular life support system

   EDVAC =electronic discrete variable automatic computer

   GEM =ground effect machine

   NSC=national Security Council

   ERDA =energy research and development administration

   ID =identity card

2.     SALT: Strategic arms limitation talks

   laser:lightwave  amplification by stimulated emission of radiation

  AIDS: acquired immune deficiency syndrome

  V-Day: VictoryDay

  D-Day: decimalization day

  G-man: Government man