POLYSYNTHESIS Meaning and
Definition
-
Polysynthesis refers to a linguistic typology or structure that distinguishes certain languages based on the degree of word formation and complexity within their verbal and nominal systems. It is a morphological feature that represents the ability of a language to incorporate multiple morphemes or word parts into a single word or phrase. This complex word formation process allows for the expression of diverse linguistic information through the concatenation of affixes, roots, and other morphological elements to create highly integrated and extensive words.
In polysynthetic languages, such as Inuktitut (an Eskimo-Aleut language) or Mohawk (an Iroquoian language), a single word can contain a considerable amount of grammatical and lexical content. These languages exhibit an intricate morphological system that can express not only basic meanings but also various grammatical features, such as tense, aspect, mood, object and subject agreement, and other relational information. Consequently, polysynthetic languages have the ability to convey a great deal of information within a single word, making them highly efficient in expressing complex ideas and concepts.
The term "polysynthesis" was coined by linguists to classify languages with this particular morphological characteristic. Additionally, the identification of polysynthetic languages helps linguists understand the diversity of human language structures and provides insights into the relationship between language and cognition. While not all languages exhibit polysynthetic features, those that do contribute to the fascinating richness and complexity found in the world's linguistic landscape.
-
A polysynthetic character.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
Common Misspellings for POLYSYNTHESIS
- oolysynthesis
- lolysynthesis
- -olysynthesis
- 0olysynthesis
- pilysynthesis
- pklysynthesis
- pllysynthesis
- pplysynthesis
- p0lysynthesis
- p9lysynthesis
- pokysynthesis
- popysynthesis
- pooysynthesis
- poltsynthesis
- polgsynthesis
- polhsynthesis
- polusynthesis
- pol7synthesis
- pol6synthesis
- polyaynthesis
Etymology of POLYSYNTHESIS
The word "Polysynthesis" was derived from the combination of two Greek roots: "poly", meaning "many", and "synthesis", meaning "putting together" or "combination". This combination accurately describes the central idea behind polysynthesis: the process of combining multiple morphemes (the smallest linguistic units with meaning) into a single word form.
