Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Afixoids are lexical units of Greco-Latin origin that originally carried full lexical meaning but now function as structural elements in compound words. Statistical analyses highlight their significant presence, along with words formed through afixoidation, in contemporary vocabulary. This trend reflects a growing tendency toward linguistic economy and a preference for transparent, analyzable terms. Lexical neology exemplifies the dynamism and creativity inherent in language, driving substantial changes in word-formation processes - most notably, the rise of compounding through afixoidation. This is an open and self-perpetuating process, as newly coined terms often follow easily replicable patterns. Truncated elements within compounds themselves evolve into afixoids, further enhancing efficiency and supporting the creation of specialized terminology. Ultimately, afixoidation contributes to the abstraction and intellectualization of language, and its usage is steadily expanding across various fields and domains.
Authors: Eugenia Mincu, Dorina Macovei
Institution: Moldova State University
Language: English
Subfield: Language and Linguistics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7127622293