Grammar: Combining Form

Revised as of
30 Jan 2023

In exploring the Word Confusions, I kept coming across a note in brackets about the word being [as modifier], so I thought I’d explore some more. God knows lexicographers and grammarians love to come up with minute categorizations for everything in the universe that has to do with the English language.

Combined forms mix it up in a variety of ways, including the noun modifier, the various types of compound words, the derivative, adding on an affix, and/or borrowed from a foreign language.

Grammar Explanations is . . .

. . . an evolving list of the structural rules and principles that determines where words are placed in phrases or sentences as well as how the language is spoken. Sometimes I run across an example that helps explain better or another “also known as”. Heck, there’s always a better way to explain it, so if it makes quicker and/or better sense, I would appreciate suggestions and comments from anyone on an area of grammar with which you struggle or on which you can contribute more understanding.

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Combining Forms
Definition: A word that is only part of a larger word (bound morpheme). While similar to an affix (a general term for infix, prefix, and suffix), a combining form creates a new word with its own meaning. Be warned, lexicographers still haven’t made a clear distinction between combined forms and affixes (Kastovsky). There are two types of combined forms: Compound words Derivatives A.k.a. combining form
Most Common Use of Combined Forms
Noun Modifier	Definition: One noun is used to modify another noun. Also see noun modifier in Noun.
Return to top or post contents	Legend: Green indicates the primary noun Blue indicates the noun modifier bread roll village church national park screen door
Types of Combined Forms
Compound Word	Definition: A compound word can be open, hyphenated, or closed. They may be permanent or temporary, compound modifiers, or words formed with prefixes, and how they are treated can depend on whether they’re adjectives, adverbs, or nouns.
	matter-of-fact policeman Revolutionary War ax-wielding
Derivative	Definition: A word created using an independent word with a single, restricted meaning.
	Independent Word Derivation Examples Anglo Anglo- Anglo-American electricity electro- electromagnetic electrocardiogram para para- parachute paragraph paratrooper paramedic paraprofessional mini mini- miniskirt wide -wide worldwide citywide nationwide statewide systemwide Use a hyphen after a proper noun: Chicago-wide Use a hyphen after words of 3+ syllables: university-wide proof -proof fireproof 100-proof waterproof man -man headman laundryman huntsman sportsman superman woodcraftsman circum circum- circumambulate circumflex circumcise circumstantial hyper hyper- hyperactive hyperacid hyperalert hyperaware land -land Greenland crashland wasteland dreamland rangeland upland
Combined with an Affix	Definition: Different from an affix because it is a part of a word that combines with an affix, as one cannot create a word by combining affixes, i.e., there is no such word combining pro- + -ic.
	Combining Form Added To Affix Turns Into Combined Word cephal- + -ic = cephalic Iceland + -ic = Icelandic argue + -ment = argument private + -acy = privacy region + -al = regional new + a- = anew climax + anti- = anticlimax spatter + be- = bespatter attack + counter- = counterattack
Borrowed From Another Language	Definition: An independent or combined-form word borrowed from another language.
	Descriptive Word Combined Form (indicated by a hyphen) Country of Origin Defined As Examples mal French badly malady malodorous malnourishment malfunction micro- Greek extremely small microbiology microcomputer microprocessor microcosm microscopic photo- Greek light photosynthesis photolithography photobiology photography kako- Greek bad, unpleasant, incorrect cacography cacophony -graphy Latin from Greek writing biography hagiography photography stenography bio- Greek life biography biology biophysics biotechnology

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Grammar Explanations by exploring its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Word Confusions, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.

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Resources for Combined Form

“Combining Form.” Dictionary.com. n.d. Web. n.d. <https://www.dictionary.com/browse/combining-form>.

Kastovsky, Dieter. “Astronaut, Astrology, Astrophysics: About Combining Forms, Classical Compounds and Affixoids.” Selected Proceedings of the 2008 Symposium on New Approaches in English Historical Lexis (HEL-LEX 2). Vienna University.. 2009. <http://www.lingref.com/cpp/hel-lex/2008/paper2161.pdf” target=”_blank” title=”Opens a new page”>http://www.lingref.com/cpp/hel-lex/2008/paper2161.pdf>>. Online PDF

“Noun Modifiers.” Learn English. British Council. n.d. Web. 30 Jan 2023. <https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/english-grammar-reference/noun-modifiers>.

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Sculpture in Wynn Gardens, Old Colwyn, by Eirian Evans is under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.