Word Formation as a Naming Device

Naming is an essential preliminary for the effective use of language. Word formation is the only rule-based naming device. This monograph explores how the naming function of word formation can be dealt with in eight current theoretical frameworks. After an introduction to the nature of naming and a historical overview motivating the selection of theories, a set of data is presented that illustrates the issues involved in naming. For each framework, it is investigated how these data can be accounted for. In the final chapter, the properties that a theory needs in order to cover the naming function of word formation are summarized. It is found that two crucial properties of the application of word formation are onomasiological coercion and onomasiological motivation. Onomasiological coercion means that the meaning of a new word is determined by the concept to be named rather than by word formation rules. The semantic constraints of word formation rules only determine which rule will be used, not what the resulting word means. Onomasiological motivation means that new words are only formed when there is a need for them. This naming need must be perceived by the speaker forming the word. Notions such as productivity, semantic specialization and blocking are argued to be epiphenomena reflecting aspects of onomasiological coercion and onomasiological motivation.