Productivity in word formation (WF): A morphological approach

Abstract

Grammatical productivity of the potential system of WF (1) is distinguishedfrom type frequency (on the level of language as institution) and token frequency(level of performance), where pragmatic factors intervene (2). It is a hyponymof legal regularity and creativity, different from default, probability ofWFR application, e.g., in rule competition, and analogy. Restrictions on actualvs. potential domains do not restrict productivity itself, as shown by ordinalnumber formation (3) and German feminine motion (4). The main part focusseson qualitative gradation of grammatical productivity (5), its theoreticalbases and methodological consequences (6), including stratified lexica (7).External evidence from poetic license is adduced in 10 . Hierarchical paradigmaticorganization of WF (8) includes the levels of derivational paradigm, microclass,class, and their higher sets. Typologically, agglutinating WF (e.g., Hungarian)is richer than in ecting WF (9). This contribution represents a plea (a) forthe analytic separation of grammar and pragmatics also in the area of productivity,(b) for the unity of inflection and derivation, (c) for the close connectionbetween morphological meaning and form.