| Abstract: | The most common first-order derivatives are nouns. Such nouns most commonly realize three types of word-formational meanings, i.e., meanings exhibited in derivatives associated with the animate category (animate carrier of the property: grbav-ec), derivatives associated with the inanimate category (inanimate carrier of the property: šumn-ik), and de-rivatives with the meaning of property (debel-ost). More than a hundred different suffixes appear in derivation, the most productive of which are -ost, -ica, -ina, -ec, and -ka (Stramljič Breznik 1994).The analysis of productive word-formational models and suffix chains in deadjectival nouns found in the word family dictionary Besednodružinski slovar slovenskega jezika za iztočnice na b (Stramljič Breznik 2004) has de-termined that their highest order of derivation is the fifth-order derivation with a five-suffix chain. Within the range of two- to five-suffix chains, the most common are two-suffix chains (244), representing 64.4% of all chains. The total number of derivatives in this category is 372, with a 73% share. In the category of three-suffix chains, there are 107 suffix chains, amount-ing to 30.7%, which is about half of the proportion of the two-suffix chains, while the number of derivatives is three times smaller (121), which ac-counts for 23.7% of deadjectival derivatives. There are 16 four-suffix chains (4.6%) with 16 derivatives (3.1%). There exists only one five-suffix chain as the longest suffix chain possible, representing a 0.3% share and realizing only one derivative (0.2%). The suffix -ica is the second, while the suffix -ec is the fifth most pro-ductive suffix of first-order deadjectival noun derivatives. Therefore, they can serve as a basis for generating higher-order derivatives and thus con-tribute to the diversity of suffix chain combinations.Their two-suffix chains in the second order of derivation fit into the word-class models Adj,N,Adj and Adj,N,N, with the suffix -ica showing more suffix combination potential than the suffix -ec. This can already be observed in the second order of derivation, as the suffix -ica in the second order is compatible with six suffixes, two of which are noun suffixes (-ar and -ina) and four adjective suffixes (-en, -ast, -av, -in), while the suffix -ecis compatible with only four, i.e., one noun suffix (-ek) and three adjective suffixes (-ev, -evski, -ski).Even in the third order of derivation, the suffix -ica is morphologically more combinable, as two suffixes (-ar and -en) are compatible with three suffixes for third-order derivatives. The suffix -ar is compatible with one noun suffix (-ka) and two adjective suffixes (-ev, -ski), while -en is com-patible with three noun suffixes (-ež, -ik, -ost). The chain (-ica + -en + -ost) stands out in terms of the number of derivatives, confirming that deriva-tional abstract nouns ending in -ost are very productive in Slovenian in any order of derivation.The suffix -ec thus shows less potential for the formation of higher-or-der derivatives not only in the second level but also in the third level, where only one suffix allows the formation of a third-level adverb of man-ner ending with the suffix in -o, which also concludes the derivation chain. |
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