An Introduction to the Study of Language

by Leonard Bloomfield

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1914 edition. ...the simple words nakatl 'meat, it is meat', and nikktca 'I cat it'. Thus, aside from the semantic divergences, there are the following in form in simple word is left off in compound; ni-at beginning of simple word appears at the beginning of the compound;-k-(semantically 'it') left off in compound. Like the English forehead (where the spelling preserves our feeling of connection with simple words), such Na-hwatl compounds approach the boundary where the compound would cease to be felt by the speaker to resemble any simple words, and, consequently, would no longer be a compound. This line is, of course, not sharply traceable. Those who know the word 'hAzaf 'sewing-bag' from speech alone will scarcely feel it to be a compound, as will those who know it from its written form housewife or in its 'spelling pronunciation' 'haoswaefj. 14. Simple phrase. This, then, is the second direction in which compounds approach simple words. On the one hand, we have seen instances where it was doubtful whether a certain element was merely an affix or a member of a compound In fourteen, sixteen, seventeen, etc. (p. 96) the element-teen may be a in that case the words are simple; if, however, in view of the usage in She is in her teens, teen is an independent word, then fourteen, etc. are compounds. Similarly, in Italian there are a number of words with a suffix-accio,-accia, expressing the idea of unpleasantness, e. g. roba 'stuff, goods': robaccia 'trash', tempo 'weather': tempaccio 'nasty weather', Alfredo 'Alfred': Alfre-daccio 'naughty Alfred', vecchio 'old', 'old man': vecchiaccio 'unpleasant old man', etc. In view of the locutiou Quanto siete accio! 'How unpleasant you are!' all these may, however, be looked upon...

Genres: Linguistics

102 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983