Book contents
- Reflections on English Word-Formation
- Reflections on English Word-Formation
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Conventions and Abbreviations
- 1 Introduction
- Part I Basic Questions
- 2 Reflections on the Background to the Study of Word-Formation
- 3 Reflections on Why We Need Word-Formation
- 4 Reflections on the Recognition of Novelty in Words
- 5 Reflections on Blocking and Competition
- 6 Reflections on Potential and Norm
- 7 Reflections on Definition by Stipulation and on Word-Classes
- 8 Reflections on Analogical Word-Formation
- 9 Reflections on the Nature of the Lexeme
- Part II Semantic Questions
- Part III Syntactic Questions
- Part IV Interfaces
- Part V Patterns of Word-Formation in English
- Part VI Historical Questions
- Part VII Questions Involving Inflection
- Index of Topics
- Index of English Word-Forming Elements
- References
5 - Reflections on Blocking and Competition
from Part I - Basic Questions
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 October 2025
Book contents
- Reflections on English Word-Formation
- Reflections on English Word-Formation
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Conventions and Abbreviations
- 1 Introduction
- Part I Basic Questions
- 2 Reflections on the Background to the Study of Word-Formation
- 3 Reflections on Why We Need Word-Formation
- 4 Reflections on the Recognition of Novelty in Words
- 5 Reflections on Blocking and Competition
- 6 Reflections on Potential and Norm
- 7 Reflections on Definition by Stipulation and on Word-Classes
- 8 Reflections on Analogical Word-Formation
- 9 Reflections on the Nature of the Lexeme
- Part II Semantic Questions
- Part III Syntactic Questions
- Part IV Interfaces
- Part V Patterns of Word-Formation in English
- Part VI Historical Questions
- Part VII Questions Involving Inflection
- Index of Topics
- Index of English Word-Forming Elements
- References
Summary
The general idea that newly coined words should not be synonymous with already established words, through a well-established principle called ‘blocking’, does not always accord with the data. Some instances of systematic competition, for example, seem to allow for synonymous coinages.
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- Reflections on English Word-Formation , pp. 43 - 49Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2025
References
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