In this chapter, we used-tarian,-licious, and -tastic as...

In this chapter, we used-tarian,-licious, and -tastic as examples of splinters. See if you can think of other examples of splinters in English and search for novel words using those splinters in COCA.

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Key Concepts

English Morphology

English morphology studies the structure of words, including the way that affixes and other morphemes combine to form complex words. This area examines how meaningful units are organized and manipulated within a language, uncovering patterns in how words are built and evolve over time.

Splinters

Splinters are non-productive or less common morphemes that have become part of the lexicon through repeated usage in certain word-formation processes. Unlike standard affixes, which are systematically attached to roots, splinters may appear in limited contexts and can take on creative or associative roles in word formation.

Word Formation

Word formation is the process by which new words are created in a language. This involves combining various morphemes—both free and bound—to generate terms that can capture novel ideas, trends, or concepts, often by reusing morphological elements in innovative ways.

Corpus Analysis

Corpus analysis involves examining large, structured sets of texts to study language use in authentic contexts. Tools like the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA) provide researchers with data on frequency, distribution, and context, allowing for the detection of emerging patterns and novel word formations.

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