3 - Fundamental notions

Summary

We must take most of the old terms as they are, and make the best use of them that we can, supplementing them where it is necessary, and limiting the meanings of all terms, old and new, as precisely and unambiguously as possible. But this is no easy task, and I have the greatest sympathy with Sweet, who wrote to me at the time when he brought out his New English Grammar: ‘I have had most difficulty with the terminology.’

Jespersen (1924: 343)

‘When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in a rather scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean, – neither more nor less.’

Carroll, Lewis, Through the Looking Glass (1871: ch. 6)

Introduction

The aim of this chapter is to introduce, discuss and define a number of notions that appear to be necessary in the study of morphological productivity. To a certain extent, this chapter continues the work of the last chapter, in that it considers distinctions and the terms for them that have been introduced in the literature on morphological productivity. But it goes beyond the last chapter in considering matters in much more detail and suggesting terminological distinctions where none have previously been made or where those that are made appear unsuitable.