Difference between revisions of "Infix"
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An '''infix''' is an [[affix]] which occurs inside its [[base]]. | An '''infix''' is an [[affix]] which occurs inside its [[base]]. | ||
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| + | ===Examples=== | ||
| + | [[Tagalog]], a language spoken at the Philippines, has a number of infixes. From the monomorphemic root ''sulat'' 'writing' the derived verb ''sumulat'' 'to write' is formed by infixing -''um''- after the initial consonant. The existence of infixes is not uncontroversial. Broselow & McCarthy (1983) and McCarthy (1986) argue that infixation is just a special kind of [[prefix]]ation or [[suffix]]ation. | ||
===Comment=== | ===Comment=== | ||
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The term ''infix'' is first attested in the last quarter of the 19th century. | The term ''infix'' is first attested in the last quarter of the 19th century. | ||
| − | ===References=== | + | === Link === |
| − | Plag, Ingo. 2003. ''English word-formation.'' Cambridge:Cambridge University Press. | + | |
| + | [http://www2.let.uu.nl/UiL-OTS/Lexicon/zoek.pl?lemma=Infix&lemmacode=672 Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics] | ||
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| + | === References === | ||
| + | * Broselow, J. & J. McCarthy 1983. ''A Theory of Internal Reduplication,'' The Linguistic Review 3, pp. 25-88 | ||
| + | * McCarthy, J. 1986. ''OCP Effects: gemination and antigemination,'' Linguistic Inquiry 17, pp. 207-264 | ||
| + | * Plag, Ingo. 2003. ''English word-formation.'' Cambridge:Cambridge University Press. | ||
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===Other languages=== | ===Other languages=== | ||
Revision as of 17:08, 15 February 2009
An infix is an affix which occurs inside its base.
Examples
Tagalog, a language spoken at the Philippines, has a number of infixes. From the monomorphemic root sulat 'writing' the derived verb sumulat 'to write' is formed by infixing -um- after the initial consonant. The existence of infixes is not uncontroversial. Broselow & McCarthy (1983) and McCarthy (1986) argue that infixation is just a special kind of prefixation or suffixation.
Comment
Sometimes the term infix is also used for adfixes that occur nonperipherally in a word, but not inside another morpheme. However, this usage of infix is usually regarded as erroneous.
- "Now, shouldn’t we analyze -al in decolonialization also as an infix (after all, it occurs inside a word)? The answer is ‘no.’ True, -al occurs inside a complex word, but crucially it does not occur inside another morpheme." (Plag 2003:11)
Arabic infixes are vocalic patterns within so-called discontinuous morphemes, traditionally called roots. For example, the triconsonantal root {k..t..b} is the discontinuous morpheme, which carries the meaning of 'writing', into which a vocalic pattern such as {..a..a} can be infixed to give you /katab/ (a pausal form), meaning 'wrote'. In fact, the morphemic analysis of past verb forms in Arabic is more complex than it might overtly seem were we to add gender as yet a third morpheme.
Origin
The term infix is first attested in the last quarter of the 19th century.
Link
Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics
References
- Broselow, J. & J. McCarthy 1983. A Theory of Internal Reduplication, The Linguistic Review 3, pp. 25-88
- McCarthy, J. 1986. OCP Effects: gemination and antigemination, Linguistic Inquiry 17, pp. 207-264
- Plag, Ingo. 2003. English word-formation. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.
Other languages
German Infix (de)
