Zeitschrift für Wortbildung / Journal of Word Formation (ZWJW)
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Denominal Converted Verbs with Particles in English: Unlocking the Semantic-Ontological Role of Nominal Bases and Particles through a Lexical-Semantic Approach
No full textThis paper investigates the interaction between particle verb formation and noun-to-verb conversion in English complex verbs such as lawyer up and fence off, using a framework built on the findings of the lexical-semantic investigations into the latter process. Although the syntax and semantics of English denominal conversion verbs have been well studied, the issue of how a particle can be integrated has not yet been explored. This paper addresses this issue by examining (i) which conversion verb type prefers which particle (up, out, off, or down) and (ii) how the rich lexical semantics of the base noun and the particle contribute to the production and interpretation of new verbs. Regarding the first question, the correlation is particularly evident in the following pairings: Instrumental and out, Similative and out, Ornative and up, Performative and out, Causative and out, Inchoative and up, and Privative and off. Regarding the second question, we observe that cognitive image schemas, such as UP IS MORE and BODIES ARE CONTAINERS, underlie the interplay between the noun and the particle. Overall, the results lend support to the lexical-semantic approach to conversion and particle verbs, particularly from a cognitive-semantic perspective.
Publication History:submitted: 19 October 2025first review: 3 December 2025second review: 29 October 2025revised: 14 January 2026third review: 5 February 2026accepted: 6 February 2026published: 1 April 202
Nominalization as Gradual Reification of Events: "-ion" Nominals between Event and Non-Event Readings
No full textThe polysemy and the argument-taking behaviour of deverbal nouns have been discussed controversially for a long time. While proponents of lexicalist models assume that deverbal nouns inherit the argument structure of their base verbs, representatives of syntax-based models subsumed under the label ‘Neo-Construction Grammar’ argue that the event and non-event readings of nominalizations are structurally determined. Drawing on a concept from Cognitive Linguistics, a proposal to be made in this article is that the oscillation of deverbal nouns between event and non-event readings depends on the degree of ‘reification’ of the underlying events, which can be represented on a bi-directional scale. Prototypical event readings assume the central position on this scale. In these readings, deverbal nouns follow their verbal bases not only with respect to argument realization, but also with respect to the omissibility of complements. The syntactic activation of inherited arguments and the compatibility of deverbal nouns with temporal and aspectual modifiers decreases towards the (leftmost) substance pole and the (rightmost) object pole of the Scale of Reification. The analyses concentrate on deverbal nouns displaying the suffix -ion.
Publication History:submitted: 17 November 2025first review: 17 January 2026second review: 27 December 2025accepted: 1 February 2026published: 1 April 202
Conference Report: 49. Österreichische Linguistiktagung. Workshop "Native vs. Borrowed Word Formation in Synchrony and Diachrony" (5–6 December 2025; Klagenfurt, Austria)
No full textThe workshop “Native vs. Borrowed Word Formation in Synchrony and Diachrony” took place from the 5th to the 6th of December, 2025 in Klagenfurt (Austria) as part of the 49. Österreichische Linguistiktagung. It focused on the cross-linguistically widespread but still understudied phenomenon of the coexistence of borrowed and native word-formation morphology (Matras & Sakel 2007; Gardani et al. 2015). The workshop included 13 presentations offering a comprehensive and theoretically informed exploration of morphological borrowing across many languages (Ancient Greek, Bosnian / Croatian / Montenegrin / Serbian, Dutch, English, French, Georgian, German, Greek, Italian, Korean, Latin, Lithuanian, Palestinian Arabic, Polish, Russian, Slovenian, Turkish) and domains (derivation, compounding, nominalization, morphological productivity, and affix rivalry, among many others).
Publication History:submitted: 19 January 2026accepted: 20 January 2026published: 1 April 202
Compound and Incorporation Constructions as Combinations of Unexpandable Roots
Get PDFThis paper offers definitions of the terms compound construction, compound and incorporation construction that can be applied to all languages in the same way. The earlier literature has often expressed pessimism about identifying such elements across languages in an objective way, but I propose definitions that do not rely on notions such as “word” or “morphology”. I define incorporation as a special kind of verbal compound construction, and a compound construction as a combination of strictly adjacent roots. Rather than being “non-phrasal”, I say that compounds are defined as not expandable by modifiers. These definitions are shared-core definitions, like most other definitions of comparative concepts: They capture the core of the types of elements that have been called “compound” and “incorporation” in the earlier literature, but not necessarily every compound and every incorporation in every language. It should be noted that the paper does not make any empirical claims, but merely contributes to the methodology of general linguistics by means of a critical and constructive discussion of terminology.This paper offers definitions of the terms compound construction, compound and incorporation construction that can be applied to all languages in the same way. The earlier literature has often expressed pessimism about identifying such elements across languages in an objective way, but I propose definitions that do not rely on notions such as “word” or “morphology”. I define incorporation as a special kind of verbal compound construction, and a compound construction as a combination of strictly adjacent roots. Rather than being “non-phrasal”, I say that compounds are defined as not expandable by modifiers. These definitions are shared-core definitions, like most other definitions of comparative concepts: They capture the core of the types of elements that have been called “compound” and “incorporation” in the earlier literature, but not necessarily every compound and every incorporation in every language. It should be noted that the paper does not make any empirical claims, but merely contributes to the methodology of general linguistics by means of a critical and constructive discussion of terminology
(-)bio(-) as a Part of Food Brand Names: A Cognitive-Grammar Analysis of the Composition of Brand Names
No full textbioZENTRALE, Bio Liebe, dmBio, Kölln Bio etc.: Bei der Benamung von Lebensmittelmarken wird die Komponente (-)bio(-) angesichts der Verbreitung biologisch hergestellter Produkte häufig eingesetzt. Marken verwenden sie mal in Präposition und mal in Postposition, mal gebunden und mal frei. Dieser Beitrag untersucht diese unterschiedlichen Verwendungen aus einer kognitiv-grammatischen Perspektive anhand eines Korpus aus aktuellen Lebensmittelmarkennamen. Ziel ist es, die Arten der Komposition zu systematisieren. Als Ausgangspunkt dienen die in der linguistischen Forschung bisher üblichen Klassifizierungen von bio- als initiales Konfix sowie bio als Kürzung. Die Analyse zeigt, dass die Komponente (-)bio(-) überwiegend als gebundene oder ungebundene spezifizierende Erst- oder auch Zweiteinheit in regulären Konfix-Komposita und kompositumähnlichen Bildungen, die als Markennamen eingesetzt werden, gebraucht wird. Seltener fungiert die Komponente selbst als Profildeterminante. Die Komponente (-)bio(-) wird demzufolge zur Bildung von Markennamen variabler gebraucht, als durch die Einordnung von bio- als vornehmlich linke, gebundene Einheit in Komposita bislang angenommen wurde.
Publikationsverlauf:eingereicht: 14. Juni 2024erstes Gutachten: 3. Mai 2025zweites Gutachten: 14. April 2025überarbeitet: 12. Juni 2025drittes Gutachten: 25. Juli 2025akzeptiert: 7. August 2025veröffentlicht: 1. Oktober 2025bioZENTRALE, Bio Liebe, dmBio, Kölln Bio, etc.: In naming German food brands, the component (-)bio(-) is a frequently used element due to the prevalence of organically produced products. Brands sometimes use it in preposition and other times in postposition, and sometimes it is bound and sometimes it is not. This paper examines these different usages from a cognitive-grammar perspective on the basis of a corpus of current food brand names. The aim is to systematise the types of composition. The classifications of bio- as a confix in German (combining form in English) and bio as a shortening, which have been common in linguistic research so far, serve as a starting point. The analysis indicates that the component (-)bio(-) is predominantly used as a bound or unbound specifying first or second unit in regular composites and composite-like formations that are used as brand names. Less frequently, the component itself functions as a profile determinant. The component (-)bio(-) is subsequently used more variably to form brand names than was previously assumed due to the categorisation of bio- as a primarily left, bound unit in composites.
Publication History:submitted: 14 June 2024first review: 3 May 2025second review: 14 April 2025revised: 12 June 2025third review: 25 July 2025accepted: 7 August 2025published: 1 October 202
Conference Report: "Perspektiven der Movierungsforschung" (October 8–10, 2024; University of Luxembourg)
No full textCompeting Strategies in Morphological Approximation: Exploring Prefixoids kvazi(-), nadri(-), nazovi(-), and pseudo(-) in Croatian
Get PDFThis study explores the phenomenon of affix rivalry within the domain of morphological approximation in Croatian, focusing on the prefixoids kvazi(-), nadri(-), nazovi(-), and pseudo(-) as they attach to nominal bases. These prefixoids can be classified as privative, as the derivatives they produce do not fully embody the core characteristics conveyed by their morphological bases. To analyze the rivalry among the prefixoids, the study evaluates their productivity, collocational behavior, and distribution across various textual genres, utilizing data from the CLASSLA-web.hr corpus. The findings suggest significant disparities in the productivity and collocational behavior of the prefixoids, with nazovi(-) and kvazi(-) exhibiting the highest productivity and highly overlapping collocational behavior, whereas pseudo(-) and nadri(-) reveal more specialized usage patterns. Additionally, a random sample of 500 tokens per prefixoid is annotated for semantic values. Again, nazovi(-) and kvazi(-) demonstrate substantial overlap, particularly in their mutual application as means for subjective depreciative evaluation, underscoring the insufficiency or pretentiousness of the subject. Nadri(-) is more narrowly focused on legal domains, while pseudo(-), with its proclivity for scientific contexts, remains distinct but conceptually adjacent to kvazi(-) in contexts where imitation is highlighted without necessarily invoking deceit. Overall, the prefixoids present a complex network of interrelationships, yet each prefixoid also establishes a specific niche, balancing between shared semantic roles and distinct, context-dependent uses
Phonotactics of Derivational Affixes in German Dialects: An Analysis of the PhonD2 Corpus
No full textDiese Studie beschäftigt sich mit der Phonotaktik nominaler Derivationsaffixe in Dialekten des Deutschen. Hierzu werden phonologisch und morphologisch annotierte gesprochensprachliche Daten von 64 Sprecher:innen aus dem PhonD2-Korpus ausgewertet. Die Ergebnisse zeigen die die unterschiedlichen Frequenzen im Gebrauch der Derivationsaffixe und deren phonotaktische Clusterung auf. Außerdem können Korrelationen zwischen Affixform und -gebrauch nachgewiesen werden, bestimmte phonotaktische Cluster werden in den Korpusdaten polyfunktional verwendet, während andere Cluster spezifischen Affixtypen vorbehalten sind. Auch zeigt die Studie Asymmetrien zwischen Präfixen und Suffixen auf, z. B. hinsichtlich des phonologischen Wortstatus und von Sonoritätsabfolgen der Affixe. Zusätzlich ergeben sich regionale Verteilungen für bestimmte phonotaktische Musterbildungen, z. B. für die Synkope von Ge+ und für die von Plosiven nach Velarnasal in +ung.
Publikationsverlauf:eingereicht: 11. Januar 2024erstes Gutachten: 20. Mai 2025zweites Gutachten: 12. August 2025akzeptiert: 3. September 2025veröffentlicht: 1. Oktober 2025This paper deals with the phonotactics of noun derivational affixes in the dialects of German. An analysis of the PhonD2 corpus with phonologically and morphologically annotated spontaneous speech data from 64 dialect speakers is presented. The results show the different frequencies of use of the derivational affixes and their phonotactic cluster. Correlations between form and function can also be demonstrated insofar as certain phonotactic clusters are used in a polyfunctional manner i.e. occur with many different derivational affixes, while other clusters are restricted to individual affix types. Furthermore, the study reveals asymmetries between prefixes and suffixes, for example regarding their phonological word status and sonority sequence. In addition, regional distributions appear for certain phonotactic patterns, such as the syncope of Ge+ and plosive after velar nasal in +ung.
Publication History:submitted: 11 January 2024first review: 20 May 2025second review: 12 August 2025accepted: 3 September 2025published: 1 October 202
Old and New Intensifying Prefixes in Italian: The Case of uber-
Get PDFThis study offers the first description of the prefix uber- in Italian. Through a dual methodology combining a corpus-based analysis with a questionnaire administered to 440 native speakers, we highlight that uber- can be considered as an emerging intensifying strategy in Italian, aligning with its established role as an intensifying prefix in other languages, such as English and Hungarian. More specifically, both the corpus-based analysis and the results of the questionnaire demonstrate that uber- is primarily used to intensify (animated) nouns and adjectives in colloquial contexts. The questionnaire also reveals that, when given the choice of using uber- or other intensive disyllabic prefixes to express the highest degree of intensity, speakers tend to prefer other prefixes (mainly super- and mega-), rarely opting for uber-. Therefore, uber- does not currently function as an over-the-top intensifier in Italian, as it does in English and other European languages.
Publication History:submitted: 21 April 2025first review: 5 June 2025second review: 21 June 2025accepted: 15 July 2025published: 1 October 202
"Nutzende" – "Kritisierende" – "Forschende": On the Use of Nominalized Participles as a Gender-Inclusive Reference Strategy
No full textPluralformen substantivierter Partizipien zur Personenbezeichnung wie Teilnehmende sind genusneutral und werden deshalb zum genderinklusiven Sprachgebrauch empfohlen und genutzt. Es stellt sich jedoch die Frage, ob diese Formen semantisch äquivalent sind mit abgeleiteten Nomina agentis wie Teilnehmer und ob ihr Gebrauch mit den Regularitäten der deutschen Grammatik kompatibel ist. Umstritten ist insbesondere, ob ihnen eine spezifische aspektuelle Bedeutung zukommt. Zur Klärung dieser Fragen werden in der vorliegenden Studie synchrone und diachrone Daten aus zwei Zeitungskorpora (die tageszeitung, Jahrgänge 2000 und 2022, sowie Mannheimer Korpus historischer Zeitungen bzw. Zeitschriften 1737–1905) erhoben und quantitativ wie qualitativ analysiert. Der Vergleich zeigt, dass die Partizipien semantisch weitgehend äquivalent mit deverbalen Nomina agentis sind und sie überwiegend zum Ausdruck von Eigenschaften, Gruppenzugehörigkeit und Gewohnheiten gebraucht werden. Festzustellen ist zudem, dass das Muster bereits im 19. Jahrhundert genutzt wurde und keineswegs eine neue Entwicklung ist.German plural forms of substantive participles used to refer to people, e.g., Teilnehmende (‘participants’) are considered as gender-neutral. For this reason, these forms are recommended and used for gender-inclusive language. However, the question arises whether the substantive particles in question have the same meaning as agent nouns derived from a verb, e.g., Teilnehmer (‘participants‘), and whether their use is compatible with the regularities of German grammar. In addition, it is particularly controversial whether these participles have a specific aspectual meaning. To address these questions, the present study analyses synchronous and historical data from two newspaper corpora (die tageszeitung, years 2000 and 2022, as well as Mannheim corpus of historical newspapers and magazines 1737–1905). The comparison reveals that substantive participles are semantically largely equivalent to deverbal nouns and that they are predominantly used to refer to characteristics, group membership, and habits. Importantly, the pattern was already used in the 19th century and is by no means a new development