Derivation (morphology)

Derivation refers to a part of morphology that is characterized by relatively concrete morphological meanings, potential semantic irregularity, restrictions in applicability, and so on. It contrasts with inflection, which tends to show more abstract meanings, regularity, and unrestricted applicability.

Synonym

• derivational morphology

Polysemy

Derivation has a number of other senses:

• the construction of a surface representation from an abstract representation by a set of rules
• the process of deriving a complex word A on the basis of a base B.

Other languages

German Derivation (de), Ableitung