suppletion
1 of 1noun/səˈpliʃən/
Forms:suppletions
1
the phenomenon in which an irregular form of a word, often a verb or adjective, is used instead of a regular form to express a different grammatical feature
C2Learn more on WikipediaSuppletion is a linguistic phenomenon where an irregular morphological change occurs in a word, often involving the use of entirely different roots to express different grammatical forms. Instead of following a regular pattern of inflection or derivation, one form of the word is replaced with a different word. A common example is the English verb "to be," which has different forms such as "am," "is," and "are" instead of following a standard pattern. Suppletion can reveal historical connections between words and show how languages evolve over time.
- Suppletion refers to the phenomenon in morphology where an irregular form is used to express a grammatical contrast instead of regular inflection.
- An example of suppletion is the English verb "to be," where the forms "am," "is," "are," "was," and "were" do not follow a regular pattern of inflection.
- Suppletion can create irregularities in languages, making it necessary for speakers to memorize irregular forms separately from regular patterns.
- In some languages, suppletion is common in comparative and superlative forms of adjectives, where entirely different words are used instead of inflection.
- Linguists study suppletion to understand the historical development and structural properties of languages, especially regarding irregularities in inflectional systems.