Document from the year 2022 in the subject American Studies - Linguistics, grade: 1,0, University of Constance, language: English, abstract: It is sometimes unclear where we should draw a clear line between the two word-formation processes of derivation and compounding. There are existing cases, where it is not easy to define whether certain elements can exactly be associated with derivation or compounding - they rather find themselves in a midway position. Linguists are often in a dispute about the question, if it is necessary to postulate an intermediary category or if this would just appear to be confusing. Elements that build that third category are called "affixoids". They can be seen as elements that are on their way to becoming affixes through grammaticalization, but they still do not have all properties of affixes.
