BACKFORMATION — Definition of BACKFORMATION
noun
1
The process by which a new word is formed from an older word by interpreting the former as a derivative of the latter, often by removing a morpheme (real or perceived) from the older word, such as the verb burgle, formed by removing -ar (perceived as an agent-noun suffix) from burglar.
2
A word created in this way.
Back-formations, such as "tambour" (for "play the tambourine"), are a staple of comedic wordplay.
📚 Source: en.wiktionary.org/wiki/back-formation
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