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Correct Answer: blending
blending is a word formation process in present-day english where two or more words are combined to form a new word, typically keeping part of each original word. this process results in what we call a "blend." the question provided highlights this process by using the example of "brunch," which is a blend of "breakfast" and "lunch." this word encapsulates elements from both original words, both in terms of meaning and phonetic components.
the term "blending" is often confused with other word formation processes like compounding, clipping, and backformation, but it has distinct characteristics. for instance, compounding involves joining two or more complete words to form a new word, such as "schoolhouse" from "school" and "house." unlike blending, compounding does not involve the truncation of any parts of the original words.
clipping, another word formation process, involves shortening a longer word without combining it with another, such as shortening "refrigerator" to "fridge." backformation, on the other hand, entails removing a supposed affix from an existing word to create a new word, often changing the part of speech, such as creating the verb "edit" from the noun "editor."
the correct answer to the question is "blending" because the new word "brunch" is clearly a blend of parts of the original words "breakfast" and "lunch." this process of blending is evident in many modern english words like "smog" (from "smoke" + "fog") and "motel" (from "motor" + "hotel"), which combine elements of their parent words to form a new term with a related, but distinct, meaning.
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