Word-Formation (An International Handbook of the Languages of Europe) | 192. Abkhaz, by Viacheslav Chirikba

Abkhaz Language

An International Handbook of the Languages of Europe | Volume 5 Word-Formation

From the Series: Handbücher zur Sprach- und Kommunikationswissenschaft / Handbooks of Linguistics and Communication Science (HSK), 40/5

Edited by: Peter O. Müller, Ingeborg Ohnheiser, Susan Olsen and Franz Rainer De Gruyter Mouton  |  2016

Abkhaz, by Viacheslav Chirikba.

1. Introduction
2. General overview
3. Composition
4. Derivation
5. Conversion
6. Reduplication
7. Neoclassical word-formation
8. Other types of word-formation
9. References

Abstract

To create new words, Abkhaz uses practically limitless resources of both compounding and affixation, as well as of their combination. Compounding is a dominant means of word-formation across the parts of speech. In verb formation prefixation is prevalent, while suffixation plays a modest role. In the derivation of other word classes suffixation is more prominent. Reduplication is a common mechanism in verb and adverb formation, but it is only modestly represented in noun formation. Another usual means to form new words is conversion. Neoclassical word-formation in Abkhaz is prefixal.

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