2024/04/16 by Stefan Hartmann · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · #Linguistic research and analysis #Linguistics and Cultural Studies #Linguistics and language evolution
paper · doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780199384655.013.955
openalex publication_date 2024/04/16 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/18
Abstract Derivational word-formation processes play an important role in the Germanic languages. In particular, prefixation and suffixation are highly productive. In accordance with the so-called right-hand head principle, suffixes tend to determine the morphological category of a word, and are therefore often category-changing (e.g., verb to noun), while prefixes can lead to changes regarding the valency or case government of the items to which they attach. Derivational patterns differ in various aspects, including the degree to which they modify the semantics of their bases and their morphological productivity.