The word "agglutinating" is spelled as /əˈɡluːtɪneɪtɪŋ/ in IPA phonetic transcription. The first syllable "ag-" is pronounced with a neutral vowel sound /ə/, followed by the hard "g" sound /ɡ/, and the long "u" sound /uː/. The second syllable "glu-" starts with a soft "g" sound /ɡl/, followed by the short "u" sound /ʌ/. The final syllable "-tinating" consists of the long "i" sound /aɪ/ and the nasal "n" sound /n/. Together, these sounds make up the correct spelling and pronunciation of the word "agglutinating."
Agglutinating is an adjective that describes a linguistic phenomenon in which words are formed by adding morphemes, or smaller meaningful components, to a base word. In agglutinating languages, such as Turkish, Japanese, or Finnish, these morphemes are added one after another in a consecutive, or "glued together," fashion. Each morpheme retains its original form and meaning without undergoing any changes or adjustments to fit the grammatical structure of the sentence.
This process is characterized by the ability to easily recognize and separate the morphemes within a word, as they are typically sharply distinguished and remain unmodified. Unlike in fusional languages, where morphemes may exhibit various forms depending on their function or the context, agglutinating languages maintain a clear separation between the roots and affixes.
Agglutinating languages are known for their rich inventory of affixes which allow for the creation of complex words expressing several grammatical and syntactical dimensions. Nouns, verbs, adjectives, and other word categories can be expanded through the attachment of different affixes indicating plurality, tense, case, person, and other grammatical features. The added morphemes contribute to the overall meaning of the word, preserving the separate identity of each individual component.
In summary, agglutinating refers to the process of constructing words by combining multiple, separate morphemes in succession, without modifying their individual forms. This characteristic is found in several languages, enabling a clear and distinct segmenting of the various morphemes within a word and allowing for the expression of multiple grammatical dimensions.
The word "agglutinating" is derived from the Latin word "agglutinare", which means "to glue together". It is formed by combining the prefix "ad-" (meaning "to") with the Latin word "glutinare" (meaning "to glue"). The term "agglutinating" refers to a linguistic phenomenon where words are formed by combining smaller independent units, called morphemes, which are "glued" together.