Productivity in word formation

Abstract

Productivity of a particular word formation affix can be assessed in two ways: by its relative frequency of occurrence in the language, and by the frequency with which sneakers use it to create nonce-formations. Affixes which attach to a word to form from it another word of a different form class are, as defined by Chomsky and Halle (1968), of two kinds: those which attach with a word boundary (#) and those which attach with a formative boundary (+). The choice of affix boundary is often determined, either because there is only one affix available, or because only one affix is acceptable. For example, a nonce-adverb based on, say, trendy can only be created with #ly; while a noun based on a polysyllabic verb which ends with-ize preceded by an unstressed syllable- say, compartmentalize- must take +ation, never another deverbal nominal suffix such as #al or #ment. In certain instances, however, more than one affix could potentially be used,