Overview

The book is a research monograph that reviews and revises the concept of linguistic pejoration, and explores the role of 15 suffixes and combining forms, such as -ie, -o, -ard, -holic, -rrhea, -itis, -porn, -ish, in the formation of English pejoratives. The examination of the inner structure of the resulting derivatives is based on an innovative methodology that encompasses the theories and approaches of Construction Morphology, Componential Analysis, and Morphopragmatics. Following the principles of this methodology, pejorative words collected from dictionaries and corpora (a total of approximately 950 words) are abstracted into generalizations (or constructional schemas) where structural and functional similarities are used to cognitively trace the ways in which negative (or derisive) meaning is connected with a specific form. Through this multifaceted methodology, my analysis showcases the fact that the universal properties of ‘diminution’, ‘excess’, ‘resemblance’, and ‘metonymization’ are what underlie the making of pejorative meaning. These generalizations, along with the schematic representations of formatives, can help linguists, or linguistics enthusiasts in general, to understand the conventions and intricacy of lexical pejoration.This book has been awarded 'Best Book in English Language and Linguistics 2022' by AEDEAN!

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9789027210609

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The cutting-edge nature of Pejorative Suffixes and Combining Forms in English makes it an indispensable reference book in the study of pejoration in this language, and it will surely pave the way for ensuing studies. In view of the array of linguistic disciplines which here converge, this book will be of great relevance not only to lexicologists but also to linguists in general. -- Amanda Roig-Marin, University of Alicante, in English Language and Linguistics (2023)

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