Derivation
Derivation is the process of using existing elements — bases, prefixes and suffixes — to form new bases, prefixes and suffixes.
Derivation is not as simple as simply concatenating elements. There are rules that one must follow in order to derive a new element.
Prefix+Prefix and Suffix+Suffix: Concatenate the two elements: tro+ + po+ = tropo+
Prefix+Base: Concatenate the prefix onto the base: tro+ + bon* = trobon*
Base+Suffix: Replace the base wildcard (*) with the suffix: bon* + -ult* = bonult*.
Base+Base: Concatenate with an infix based on the part of speech and tense of the modification:
| Type of Concatenation | Infix | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | -o+ | pisk* "fish" + qr* "group" = piskoqr* "school of fish" |
| Adjective, present tense | -i+ | dw* "two" + kmt* "tens" = dwikmt* "twenty" |
| Adjective, past tense | -a+ | |
| Adverb | -e+ | bon* "good" + * "" = bone_* " well" |
Prefix+Suffix: Concatenate the elements with s*.
