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Question

7. changing into subtlety is an example of:				a. conversionb. inflectionc. derivationd. back formation

MichalS · Accepted Answer

Hi again,

I don't quite understand what you mean by 'changing into subtlety'?

I know all those notions below but I have no idea what you're asking about. Could you explain that to me so I can help you?

Michal

By the way, welcome to English Forums!

MrPedantic · Answer

Hello Soumaya, welcome to English Forums!

As Michal says, your question isn't clear; a term ("subtle"?) seems to be missing after "changing".

By the way, we prefer not to answer homework-style questions on this forum; but if you would like to examine the definitions of the 4 terms you mention, and post your best guess at the answer, I'm sure someone will give you further help.

Best wishes,

MrP

MichalS · Answer

MrPedantica term ("subtle"?) seems to be missing after "changing".

Oh! You may be right that Soumaya meant just that.

If so, Soumaya, you should eliminate two options right away and consider the remaining two. But, as MrPedantic said, show us that you have really analyzed the issue properly and then we'll be happy to give you the answer. What do you know about each notion that is given as a possible answer? What'sconversion, back formation? Finally, what do you think the difference between inlexion and derivationis?

Michal

Anonymous · Answer

ok well this is how i understood them although i still dont get the question but i analysed all of them as followes

1. conversion in morphology is a shift in word class.
2. inflection in morphology is changing grammatical purposes.
3. derviation morphology is developing new items of vocabulary.
but the last one i couldnt get, but to what i have analysed now i think i would take out the last two and think of the first two , but because i dont think its conversion because its not shift of class, then its inflection. i hope i am right. wat do u guys think? am i right?
thank u for ur help

MichalS · Answer

soumaya1. conversion in morphology is a shift in word class. Right!
2. inflection in morphology is changing grammatical purposes. Yes, that's roughly correct. What's important is that inflexion doesn't change the class of the word that undergoes some inflectional modifications.

3. derviation morphology is developing new items of vocabulary. Yes, that's right! This is usually done by the means of affixation, but not only (several other morphological processes (like back-formation) are usually subsumed under this category).

Back formation is a morphological process of removing an affix from a longer word to get a shorter word, usually with the change in the word class. For example: editor -> edit (removing the suffix -(o)r). Of course, you need to have a diachronic look at the language first so you know which word was first in the language. With the synchronic view only, you cannot tell whether 'edit' wasn't first and it wasn't the case of adding the affix -(o)r to the verbal base edit.

but the last one i couldnt get, but to what i have analysed now i think i would take out the last two and think of the first two , but because i dont think its conversion because its not shift of class, then its inflection. i hope i am right. wat do u guys think? am i right?

But you haven't confirmed if subtle -> subtlety is what you meant. If yes, then your'e wrong. The noun subtlety is achieved by adding the suffix -ty to the adjectival base subtle. Suffixation is one of the main processes of derivation, thus (c). You gave a correct definition of derivation but you failed to notice that changing subtle into subtlety is a case of, as you put it, "developing new items of vocabulary".

Good luck with your morphological course.
Michal

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