Showing posts with label suffixes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label suffixes. Show all posts
Friday, June 11, 2010
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Suffix-Based Advertising Campaign is an Exercise in Futility
I think I see what the advertising agency was aiming for by centering this advertising campaign around the "-ility" suffix, based on the positive aspects of the definitions for the suffix listed below.
-ility
(Latin: a suffix; meaning, ability, ability to) wordinfo.info
(Latin: a suffix; meaning, ability, ability to) wordinfo.info
-ility
a combination of -ile and -ity, used to form abstract nouns from adjectives with stems in -ile: agility; civility; ability. dictionary.com
a combination of -ile and -ity, used to form abstract nouns from adjectives with stems in -ile: agility; civility; ability. dictionary.com
However, what immediately popped into my mind were the following words:
debility
fragility
futility
hostility
senility
volatility
invisibility
irritability
inaccessibility
irresponsibility
susceptibility
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Newsweek Magazine's Weird Word Choice
The September 21st issue of Newsweek magazine includes an article titled "Born to be Big". Following is the opening sentence of the article:
"It's easy enough to find culprits in the nation's epidemic of obesity, starting with tubs of buttered popcorn at the multiplex and McDonald's 1,220-calorie deluxe breakfasts, and moving on to the couch potato-fication of America."
I am wondering if any particular word in this sentence bothers readers as much as it bothers me.
Do you see which word I am referring to?
Not yet.
Well.....
"It's easy enough to find culprits in the nation's epidemic of obesity, starting with tubs of buttered popcorn at the multiplex and McDonald's 1,220-calorie deluxe breakfasts, and moving on to the couch potato-fication of America."
I am wondering if any particular word in this sentence bothers readers as much as it bothers me.
Do you see which word I am referring to?
Not yet.
Well.....
The word that really gets to me is "couch potato-fication".
A morphological analysis of the formation of the word "couch potato-fication" suggests that the suffix "-ify" (in the form of "-fy") was added to the compound noun "couch potato" resulting in the verb "couch potato-fy" meaning, "to make or cause one to be a couch potato." Then the suffix "-ation" was added to the verb "couch potato-fy" resulting in the noun "couch potato-fication" meaning, "the state or quality of making or causing one to be a couch potato."
While "-fy" is an accepted variant of the suffix "-ify", according to encyclopedia.com the suffix normally takes the form "-ify". Additionally, the combination of the suffixes "-ify" and "-ation" form what is considered a separate suffix "-ification". The suffix "-ification" is highly productive as can be seen by the following unexhausted list of words.
amplification
beatification
certification
clarification
classification
codification
deification
demystification
disqualification
diversification
edification
falsification
fortification
glorification
gratification
identification
justification
mystification
notification
ossification
personification
purification
qualification
quantification
ramification
ratification
rectification
reunification
sanctification
simplification
solidification
specification
stratification
unification
verification
Had the Newsweek article used the suffix in its known form, I probably would not have even thought twice about the neologism. However, without the initial /I/ or short-i sound found in the suffix, Newsweek's use stuck out like a phonetically sore thumb.
Granted the "-ification" suffix usually follows a consonant, it doesn't always, as exhibited by the word "deification". So based upon the linguistic template of "deification" and the known phonological pattern of the suffix, I think that "couch potato-ification" would have been a better choice for this neologism.
By the way, another thought that entered my mind when first reading this word was, "did they mean to say "couch potato-fixation", as in our nation has a fixation on the ability to be couch potatoes? As a matter of fact, when googling the suffix "-fication" without its initial letter "i" as Newsweek used it, Google responded with, "Did you mean: -fixation".
###
The article is also available on the Newsweek website and, interestingly, does not include the hyphen between potato and fication. Whether the word is written as "couch potato-fication" or "couch potatofication" it still sounds odd to me.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
That Cranberry Morpheme Has Tude
A cranberry morpheme, according to Andrew Spencer in the book Morphological Theory, is a morpheme that has "neither meaning nor grammatical function, yet is used to differentiate one word from another". The term cranberry morpheme was chosen to describe this linguistic occurrence based on the comparison of the word 'cranberry' to other 'berry' words where the first morphemes do carry meaning (ex. blueberry, blackberry and loganberry).Cranberry morphemes are sometimes called "fossilized terms". In the case of the word 'cranberry' Wikipedia points out the fact that 'cran' "actually comes from crane (the bird)." Of course this etymology is not commonly known, thus the alternate name "fossilized term".
Some cranberry morphemes with 'tude' that are currently popular include:
Prefixes
celebu-
nano-
mongo-
Suffixes
-isode
-cation
-rexia
-dango
-palooza
Friday, July 17, 2009
Monday, December 29, 2008
Reader's Favorites - The Linguistic Traits of NCIS Agent Ziva David
Call me behind the times but I just discovered the television show NCIS this year (even though it completed its fifth season Tuesday evening). I immediately fell in love with the show not only because it is a quality show but also because I love listening to the character Ziva's use of the English language. Ziva David is an Israeli Mossad agent who speaks many languages, though English is obviously not her first.
Ziva's linguistic traits include:
A lack of the use of contractions.
Tony: How long have you been in this country?
Ziva: Why?
Tony: Well you never heard of gypsy cabs. You don't use contractions. Assimilate already.
Ziva: What are contraptions?
This is quite accurate for an ESL speaker as it is very hard for foreigners to grasp the use of contractions. I, personally, think that the lack of contractions in her speech make Ziva sound very sophisticated - plus I find it amusing.
Mixing up suffixes.
In an episode a week ago when McGee (as he is playing Scrabble with Ziva) tells Tony that he is working on a linguistic developmental exercise to bolster her English vocabulary. Ziva responds that it is not her vocabulary that needs bolsterment.
Mixing up idioms.
Ziva : It'll be like trying to find a pin in the haystack.
Ziva: Ducky, drip it!
Ducky: You mean drop it or zip it?
Ziva: American idioms drive me up the hall!
Ziva: I feel like a donkey's butt.
McGee: Donkey's butt?
Tony: I think she means horse's a** probie.
Ziva: Yes, that too.
Ziva: Kody was covering his plates.
Ziva: McGee you look like you saw a goat.
Each one of the above examples of Ziva's language characteristics falls under the category of either morphology errors or syntax errors.
As for the season finale which has Ziva, Tony and McGee leaving - I don't believe it will happen, I think it was just the writers' version of a cliffhanger, or should I say bluffhanger.
Ziva's linguistic traits include:
A lack of the use of contractions.
Tony: How long have you been in this country?
Ziva: Why?
Tony: Well you never heard of gypsy cabs. You don't use contractions. Assimilate already.
Ziva: What are contraptions?
This is quite accurate for an ESL speaker as it is very hard for foreigners to grasp the use of contractions. I, personally, think that the lack of contractions in her speech make Ziva sound very sophisticated - plus I find it amusing.
Mixing up suffixes.
In an episode a week ago when McGee (as he is playing Scrabble with Ziva) tells Tony that he is working on a linguistic developmental exercise to bolster her English vocabulary. Ziva responds that it is not her vocabulary that needs bolsterment.
Mixing up idioms.
Ziva : It'll be like trying to find a pin in the haystack.
Ziva: Ducky, drip it!
Ducky: You mean drop it or zip it?
Ziva: American idioms drive me up the hall!
Ziva: I feel like a donkey's butt.
McGee: Donkey's butt?
Tony: I think she means horse's a** probie.
Ziva: Yes, that too.
Ziva: Kody was covering his plates.
Ziva: McGee you look like you saw a goat.
Each one of the above examples of Ziva's language characteristics falls under the category of either morphology errors or syntax errors.
As for the season finale which has Ziva, Tony and McGee leaving - I don't believe it will happen, I think it was just the writers' version of a cliffhanger, or should I say bluffhanger.
Monday, October 6, 2008
The Japanese Suffix -San and other Honorifics
A common feature of Japanese morphology that most people are familiar with even if they don't know Japanese is the use of the suffix san. The suffix san when added to a person's name signifies that the speaker has great respect for the person he or she is addressing. What some people may not know is that in linguistics this type of suffix is called an honorific. There are many other Japanese honorifics as well, including: Kun, Chan, Sensai, and Shi.
Honorifics appear as suffixes and in other forms in many other languages and cultures too. English has honorifics, though they precede and are not attached to a person's name. English honorifics include: Mr., Mrs., Miss, Master, Sir, Dr. and the like. You might be surprised to know that even words like dude, bro, and girl can be used as honorifics.
Honorifics appear as suffixes and in other forms in many other languages and cultures too. English has honorifics, though they precede and are not attached to a person's name. English honorifics include: Mr., Mrs., Miss, Master, Sir, Dr. and the like. You might be surprised to know that even words like dude, bro, and girl can be used as honorifics.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
The Linguistic Traits of NCIS Agent Ziva David
Call me behind the times but I just discovered the television show NCIS this year (even though it completed its fifth season Tuesday evening). I immediately fell in love with the show not only because it is a quality show but also because I love listening to the character Ziva's use of the English language. Ziva David is an Israeli Mossad agent who speaks many languages, though English is obviously not her first.
Ziva's linguistic traits include:
A lack of the use of contractions.
Tony: How long have you been in this country?
Ziva: Why?
Tony: Well you never heard of gypsy cabs. You don't use contractions. Assimilate already.
Ziva: What are contraptions?
This is quite accurate for an ESL speaker as it is very hard for foreigners to grasp the use of contractions. I, personally, think that the lack of contractions in her speech make Ziva sound very sophisticated - plus I find it amusing.
Mixing up suffixes.
In an episode a week ago when McGee (as he is playing Scrabble with Ziva) tells Tony that he is working on a linguistic developmental exercise to bolster her English vocabulary. Ziva responds that it is not her vocabulary that needs bolsterment.
Mixing up idioms.
Ziva : It'll be like trying to find a pin in the haystack.
Ziva: Ducky, drip it!
Ducky: You mean drop it or zip it?
Ziva: American idioms drive me up the hall!
Ziva: I feel like a donkey's butt.
McGee: Donkey's butt?
Tony: I think she means horse's a** probie.
Ziva: Yes, that too.
Ziva: Kody was covering his plates.
Ziva: McGee you look like you saw a goat.
Each one of the above examples of Ziva's language characteristics falls under the category of either morphology errors or syntax errors.
As for the season finale which has Ziva, Tony and McGee leaving - I don't believe it will happen, I think it was just the writers' version of a cliffhanger, or should I say bluffhanger.
Ziva's linguistic traits include:
A lack of the use of contractions.
Tony: How long have you been in this country?
Ziva: Why?
Tony: Well you never heard of gypsy cabs. You don't use contractions. Assimilate already.
Ziva: What are contraptions?
This is quite accurate for an ESL speaker as it is very hard for foreigners to grasp the use of contractions. I, personally, think that the lack of contractions in her speech make Ziva sound very sophisticated - plus I find it amusing.
Mixing up suffixes.
In an episode a week ago when McGee (as he is playing Scrabble with Ziva) tells Tony that he is working on a linguistic developmental exercise to bolster her English vocabulary. Ziva responds that it is not her vocabulary that needs bolsterment.
Mixing up idioms.
Ziva : It'll be like trying to find a pin in the haystack.
Ziva: Ducky, drip it!
Ducky: You mean drop it or zip it?
Ziva: American idioms drive me up the hall!
Ziva: I feel like a donkey's butt.
McGee: Donkey's butt?
Tony: I think she means horse's a** probie.
Ziva: Yes, that too.
Ziva: Kody was covering his plates.
Ziva: McGee you look like you saw a goat.
Each one of the above examples of Ziva's language characteristics falls under the category of either morphology errors or syntax errors.
As for the season finale which has Ziva, Tony and McGee leaving - I don't believe it will happen, I think it was just the writers' version of a cliffhanger, or should I say bluffhanger.
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