The Literary World

Introduction

Backformation in etymology, is the process by which a new word form from extracting or removing suffix from the actual word. This term is also called as ‘back-derivation’. Also, back-formation itself is an example of it. The term backformation term was introduced by Scottish Lexicographer and editor, James Murray in 1889.

In other words, backformation could be like the root word or a shorten version of word created from a longer word by removing affixes.

It changes its form and function. In backformation, word of one type which is usually a noun- reduced and used as a verb.

For example; ‘rove’ from ‘rover’ is obtained from removing suffix ‘r’ from the word.

Same like; ‘diagnose’ form ‘diagnosis’, ‘burgle’ form ‘burglar’, ‘peeve’ form ‘peevish’, ‘jell’ from ‘jelly’, ‘edit’ from ‘editor’, ‘beg’ from ‘begger’, ‘vaccine’ from ‘vaccination’ etc. are the few examples of backformation.

Back-formations frequently begin in colloquial use and only gradually become accepted. For example;  ‘enthuse’ from ‘enthusiasm’ is gaining popularity, though today it is still generally considered nonstandard.

Therefore, backformation may be particularly common in English given that many English words are borrowed from Latin, French and Greek, which together provide English a large range of common affixes.

Many words with affixes have entered into English, such as ‘dismantle’ and disheveled, so it may be easy to believe that these are formed from roots such as ‘mantle’ and ‘sheveled’, although these words have no history of existing in English.

Not only that but many words came into English by this route: ‘pease’ was once a mass noun but was reinterpreted as plural, making to the back-formation ‘pea’.

Also, Back-formation varies from clipping, back-formation may change the word’s class or meaning, whereas clipping creates shortened words from longer words, but does not change the class or meaning of the word.

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