Minor word-formation processes in jargon bird names in English
Research Article
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Permanent link
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11956/96926Identifiers
ISSN: 1805–9635
Collections
- Číslo 1 [4]
Issue Date
2014Publisher
Univerzita Karlova, Filozofická fakultaSource document
Linguistica PragensiaPeriodical publication year: 2014
Periodical Volume: 24
Periodical Issue: 1
Rights and license terms
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/Keywords (English)
minor word-formation processes prosodic morphology, clipping, blending, motivation by linguistic formThe present paper analyzes minor word-formation processes, namely clipping, blending, initialism, and motivation by linguistic form, on one specific sample of the English lexicon — jargon bird names. It aims to search for tendencies which prove to be systematic as well as for those which prove to be idiosyncratic. The two major motivations behind coining jargon bird names is the brevity of form and humour. The brevity of form is achieved predominantly by clipping, the processes of blending and initialism not being very frequent. Humour displays itself mainly through motivation by linguistic form, a process in which original names are modified to resemble other existing words. Jargon bird names prove to be generally systematic with a few idiosyncratic features.