f the repetition of a word or part of a word: reduplication
g the invention of a completely new word, such as the mathematical term
googal
In addition, other processes are sometimes regarded as part of word forma-
tion. These include:
h the addition of an affix in inflection
i the use of words as different parts of speech, as when the noun cap is
used as the verb to cap.word frequency n
the frequency with which a word is used in a text or corpus.
see also frequency^2
word frequency count n
also word frequencylist
see frequency count, frequency^1
word list n
a list of the basic and most important words in a language or in a register
of a language, generally intended for use as a basis for language teaching or
for the preparation of teaching materials. Word lists are usually based on
frequency counts, often supplemented by other measures of the importance
of words (see coverage).
word method n
another term for whole-word method
word order n
the arrangement of words in a sentence. Languages often differ in their
word order.
For example, the past participle occurs in German at the end of the
main clause rather than after the auxiliary as in English:
Er hat mir das Buch gegeben.
He has to me the book given
“He has given me the book.”
In English, the position of a word in a sentence often signals its function.
Thus, in the sentence:
Dogs eat meat.
the position of dogs shows that it is the subject, and the position of meat
shows that it is the object. In some languages, including English, a change
from the usual word order may often be used to emphasize or contrast, e.g.
That cheese I really don’t like.
word frequency