ATLAS OF LANGUAGE

AT-144-007 · ATLAS 251

Full reduplication

Complete repetition of a word, stem or root with a grammatical or lexical function.

Explanation

Full reduplication does not use recurrence merely as rhetorical emphasis. The copied form can mark plurality, distribution, intensity or a new lexical meaning.

Example

Indonesian rumah ‘house’ becomes rumah-rumah ‘houses’. Tagalog mag-isip ‘think’ becomes mag-isip-isip ‘think about seriously’.

Counterexample

Very, very beautiful is syntactic intensification, not morphological full reduplication of a stem.

Distinction

formal repetition with semantic gain

Effect on thought and perception

Shows recurrence as productive grammar: the same form returns and thereby creates difference.

Resonance

Resonance gains a morphological shape: recurrence transforms its point of departure.

Cite this entry

Reich, Michael (Hrsg./ed.): „Full reduplication“. Atlas der Sprache, AT-144-007. ATLAS 251, data model 1.6.0. https://atlasoflanguage.com/concept/AT-144-007

https://atlasoflanguage.com/concept/AT-144-007

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