SUPPLETION Meaning and
Definition
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Suppletion is a linguistic phenomenon that occurs when an irregular word form is used in order to express a grammatical relationship that is not indicated by regular inflection. It refers to the use of completely different forms of a word to indicate variations in grammatical features such as tense, number, case, or comparison. This irregularity in form is typically observed in the formation of inflected forms of words, such as verb conjugations or noun declensions.
In suppletive patterns, the typical convention of adding affixes or otherwise modifying the base word form is ignored, and a completely unrelated word form is used instead. For example, the English verb "to be" shows suppletion in the past tense, where the regular suffix "-ed" is replaced by the irregular form "was" which does not resemble the base form "be" at all.
Suppletion is often found in languages that have a relatively small set of irregular verbs or nouns, but it can also be present in other parts of speech. Its function is to provide a more efficient way of expressing certain grammatical contrasts or distinctions. Although suppletive forms may appear irregular, they often have historical or etymological reasons for their existence, reflecting earlier stages of the language or borrowing from other languages.
Overall, suppletion represents a departure from the regular patterns of word formation and is a fascinating aspect of language that adds complexity to the study of morphology and grammar.
Common Misspellings for SUPPLETION
- auppletion
- zuppletion
- xuppletion
- duppletion
- euppletion
- wuppletion
- syppletion
- shppletion
- sjppletion
- sippletion
- s8ppletion
- s7ppletion
- suopletion
- sulpletion
- su-pletion
- su0pletion
- supoletion
- suplletion
- sup-letion
- sup0letion
Etymology of SUPPLETION
The word "suppletion" can be traced back to Latin origins. It is derived from the Latin word "suppletio", which means "the act of supplying". The Latin verb "supplere" means "to fill up, complete, or supply". The term "suppletion" was eventually adopted into English in its specific linguistic sense, referring to the phenomenon where an irregular form of a word is used instead of a regular form.
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