Meaning & use
parasynthesis
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A process of word formation in which a new word is created by simultaneously adding a prefix and a suffix to a root, rather than by adding them in separate steps.
See it in a sentence
Linguists cite "embolden" as an example of parasynthesis, since neither "embold" nor "bolden" exists on its own.
The professor's lecture on parasynthesis explained how prefix and suffix combine at once to form new words.
A note on using this word
Parasynthesis is distinguished from simple derivation because the intermediate form, with only the prefix or only the suffix attached, does not exist as a standalone word.
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