When we talk about word formation process, we are simply referring to the various methods employed to create words in a particular language. Every language has its unique process(es) of forming words and this is what makes the language different from others. It is why we say that Morphology and Syntax are common core grammar because they both address how a language is structured–words and sentences.
The English Morphology recognises two broad formation processes and these are:
- Major Word Formation Processes
- Minor Word Formation Processes
These are broadly characterized thus based on their level of productivity and creativity. The major processes are highly productive and creative. What this means is that they can be used to generate an infinite set of words. The words created through this process can even produce more words. There are three major ways of forming words under the major process and these are:
- Compounding
- Affixation
- Conversion
The minor processes on the other hand are less creative. They do not generate so many words in a language and even so, most of the words generated are informal. Click this link to read them up.
