Derivation vs. Affixation — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Maham Liaqat — Updated on March 13, 2024
Derivation is the process of forming new words by adding prefixes and suffixes to base words, altering meaning and grammatical category, whereas affixation involves attaching prefixes, suffixes, or infixes to a stem, focusing solely on form modification.
Difference Between Derivation and Affixation
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Derivation plays a crucial role in the morphological structure of languages, allowing for the creation of new words by adding derivational morphemes to base or root words. This process can significantly change the original word's meaning and often its grammatical category (e.g., from a noun to an adjective). On the other hand, affixation is a broader term that encompasses the addition of prefixes, suffixes, and infixes to words or stems without specifying the nature of the change, which can be derivational or inflectional, focusing more on the method of form alteration rather than the functional outcome.
While derivation can result in the creation of a word with a new meaning or a different part of speech, affixation itself does not imply a change in the grammatical function or meaning. Affixation includes both derivational and inflectional morphemes; the latter does not alter the word's grammatical category but modifies its form to express tense, mood, number, etc. Thus, all derivational processes involve affixation, but not all affixation is derivational.
Derivation can profoundly affect the lexical category of words, creating a dynamic in language that facilitates the expression of complex concepts and relationships. For instance, adding "-er" to a verb can change it into a noun indicating a person performing an action (e.g., "teach" becomes "teacher"). Conversely, affixation as a mechanical process serves as the foundation for such transformations, whether they are derivational or purely inflectional, highlighting its essential role in the structure and evolution of language.
The distinction between derivation and affixation becomes clearer when considering their impact on semantics and syntax. Derivation often results in a word that belongs to a completely different semantic field or syntactic category than its root. Meanwhile, affixation, in the case of inflectional morphemes, adjusts the form of the word to fit syntactical requirements without changing its core meaning or category, underlining the functional versatility of morphological processes.
Both derivation and affixation are fundamental to understanding how languages expand and evolve, providing tools for speakers to create new words and forms. However, their focus differs: derivation emphasizes the creation of new lexical items with new meanings or categories, while affixation focuses on the process of modifying a word's form through the addition of specific morphemes, showcasing the breadth and complexity of language morphology.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
The process of creating new words by adding derivational morphemes to base words, altering their meaning and grammatical category.
The process of adding prefixes, suffixes, or infixes to a stem.
Focus
Change in meaning and grammatical category.
Form modification without specifying the nature of the change.
Types of Morphemes
Derivational morphemes.
Includes both derivational and inflectional morphemes.
Impact on Word Class
Can change the grammatical category of the word.
Does not inherently change the grammatical category; focuses on form.
Semantic Change
Often results in a significant change in meaning.
May not change the meaning (if inflectional).
Compare with Definitions
Derivation
The process of forming new words by adding morphemes to base or root words.
Happiness is derived from happy by adding the suffix -ness.
Affixation
The attachment of prefixes, suffixes, or infixes to words.
Unhappiness involves affixation by adding un- and -ness to happy.
Derivation
Derivation emphasizes new lexical item creation.
The term 'editor' derives from 'edit' through a process highlighting role or profession.
Affixation
Fundamental in form modification and word construction.
Reactivation shows affixation with re- and -ation to active.
Derivation
A method to expand vocabulary and express complex ideas.
The derivation of 'government' from 'govern' illustrates how nouns can evolve from verbs.
Affixation
Does not specify semantic or category change.
Helper involves affixation with -er, focusing on the process rather than outcome.
Derivation
Creation of words by altering meaning and part of speech.
Modernize is derived from modern with the addition of -ize.
Affixation
Affixation is a broader term than derivation, covering more morphological ground.
Disagree involves the prefix dis- attached to agree, showing negation without specifying the derivational outcome.
Derivation
Involves significant semantic shift or category change.
Quickly from quick shows how adjectives can transform into adverbs through derivation.
Affixation
Includes both derivational and inflectional processes.
Walks, walking, and walked demonstrate affixation for tense and aspect.
Derivation
The act or process of deriving.
Affixation
(linguistics) The adding of an affix to a word.
Derivation
The state or fact of being derived; origination
A custom of recent derivation.
Affixation
The result of adding an affix to a root word
Derivation
Something derived; a derivative.
Affixation
Formation of a word by means of an affix
Derivation
The form or source from which something is derived; an origin.
Affixation
The act of attaching or affixing something
Derivation
The historical origin and development of a word; an etymology.
Derivation
The process by which words are formed from existing words or bases by adding affixes, as singer from sing or undo from do, by changing the shape of the word or base, as song from sing, or by adding an affix and changing the pronunciation of the word or base, as electricity from electric.
Derivation
In generative linguistics, the generation of a linguistic structure through an ordered or partially ordered series of operations on other structures, such as the creation of a surface structure from a deep structure, or of a complex word from its morphological components.
Derivation
The formal description of the process of such generation.
Derivation
Logic & Mathematics A logical or mathematical process indicating through a sequence of statements that a result such as a theorem or a formula necessarily follows from the initial assumptions.
Derivation
A leading or drawing off of water from a stream or source.
Derivation
The act of receiving anything from a source; the act of procuring an effect from a cause, means, or condition, as profits from capital, conclusions or opinions from evidence.
Derivation
The act of tracing origin or descent.
The derivation of a word from an Indo-European root
Derivation
(grammar) Forming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it.
Derivation
The state or method of being derived; the relation of origin when established or asserted.
Derivation
That from which a thing is derived.
Derivation
That which is derived; a derivative; a deduction.
Derivation
(mathematics) The operation of deducing one function from another according to a fixed definition, referred to as derivation or differentiation; this is the inverse operation to integration.
Derivation
(medicine) A drawing of humors or fluids from one part of the body to another, to relieve or lessen a morbid process.
Derivation
A leading or drawing off of water from a stream or source.
Derivation
The act of receiving anything from a source; the act of procuring an effect from a cause, means, or condition, as profits from capital, conclusions or opinions from evidence.
As touching traditional communication, . . . I do not doubt but many of those truths have had the help of that derivation.
Derivation
The act of tracing origin or descent, as in grammar or genealogy; as, the derivation of a word from an Aryan root.
Derivation
The state or method of being derived; the relation of origin when established or asserted.
Derivation
That from which a thing is derived.
Derivation
That which is derived; a derivative; a deduction.
From the Euphrates into an artificial derivation of that river.
Derivation
The operation of deducing one function from another according to some fixed law, called the law of derivation, as the operation of differentiation or of integration.
Derivation
A drawing of humors or fluids from one part of the body to another, to relieve or lessen a morbid process.
Derivation
The formation of a word from its more original or radical elements; also, a statement of the origin and history of a word.
Derivation
The source from which something derives (i.e. comes or issues);
He prefers shoes of Italian derivation
Derivation
(historical linguistics) an explanation of the historical origins of a word or phrase
Derivation
A line of reasoning that shows how a conclusion follows logically from accepted propositions
Derivation
(descriptive linguistics) the process whereby new words are formed from existing words or bases by affixation: `singer' from `sing'; `undo' from `do'
Derivation
Drawing of fluid or inflammation away from a diseased part of the body
Derivation
Drawing off water from its main channel as for irrigation
Common Curiosities
What is an example of a derivational process?
Adding "-er" to the verb "teach" to form "teacher," a noun, is an example of a derivational process that changes both meaning and grammatical category.
How does derivation differ from affixation?
Derivation specifically alters the meaning and grammatical category of words, while affixation can include both derivational and inflectional morphemes, focusing on form modification.
What does affixation mean?
Affixation refers to the process of attaching prefixes, suffixes, or infixes to a stem, focusing on modifying the form of words.
Can affixation change a word's grammatical category?
Affixation through derivational morphemes can change a word's grammatical category, but affixation itself, especially when inflectional, primarily modifies form without changing grammatical category.
What is the purpose of affixation in language?
The purpose of affixation is to modify the form of words for grammatical congruity, to create new words, and to express different aspects of meaning.
What role does affixation play in language development?
Affixation plays a crucial role in language development by allowing the expansion of vocabulary and enabling precise expression of various grammatical aspects.
What is derivation in linguistics?
Derivation is the process of forming new words by adding morphemes to base words, changing their meaning and possibly their grammatical category.
Is all affixation derivational?
No, not all affixation is derivational. Affixation includes both derivational (changing meaning and category) and inflectional (modifying form for grammatical purposes) processes.
Can a word undergo both derivation and affixation?
Yes, a word can undergo both processes, as derivation is a type of affixation. For example, "unhappily" involves both the derivation (adding "-ly" to "unhappy") and affixation (attaching "un-" to "happy").
How do derivational morphemes affect words?
Derivational morphemes affect words by altering their original meaning and often changing their grammatical category, enabling the expression of complex ideas.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
