Join Pili and I as we study the various types of reduplication in English. Don't forget to read the notes below. See you in class!
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TYPES OF REDUPLICATION
English has several types of reduplication, some of which are fixed vocabulary words, and other types which are grammatical structures.
RHYMING REDUPLICATION
This type of reduplication is to add extra emphasis to the root adjective. Some examples are; super-duper, easy-peasy and bye-bye.
EXACT REDUPLICATION
This type of reduplication is mainly for talking to children or babies, to create a more child-friendly tone. Some examples are; bye-bye, wee-wee and poo-poo.
ABLAUT REDUPLICATION
Ablaut means off-key in German and we use this type more as fixed vocabulary, so check out the dictionary for these words; chit-chat, criss-cross and zig-zag.
SHM- REDUPLICATION
This type comes from Yiddish, originating with the American Jews of New York City. It's used to change the root noun into a pejorative. For example; baby-shmaby, cancer-schmancer and fancy-schmancy.
COMPARATIVE REDUPLICATION
This type is to compare or contrast changes over a period of time. We can say that an actress looks younger and younger, or that if you drink too many gin and tonics you become drunker and drunker.
CONTRASTIVE FOCUS REDUPLICATION
A 2004 paper by Jila Ghomeshi, Ray Jackendoff, Nicole Rosen, and Kevin Russell called “Contrastive Focus Reduplication in English (The Salad-Salad Paper),” talks about this specific type of reduplication, using the following examples;
I’ll make the tuna salad, and you make the SALAD-salad.
I’m up, I’m just not UP-up.
My car isn’t MINE-mine; it’s my parents’.
Oh, we’re not LIVING-TOGETHER-living-together.
Are you FRIENDS-friends or Facebook friends?
What exactly does it do? In the examples above, the reduplicated words or phrases act as intensifiers-they are describing things that are somehow more real, true, intense, or strong. Liking is a feeling, and LIKE-liking is a more intense kind of feeling. Being up means being awake, but being UP-up means you’re out of bed and ready to start the day. The beauty of contrastive focus reduplication is that there’s a comparison locked into the structure.
This type of reduplication has what the Salad-Salad paper refers to as a “contagious quality”; once you’re exposed, there’s no going back.
But probably the best way to learn this technique is to watch the comedian Micky Flanagan telling a hilarious story explaining the difference between out and OUT-out. • Micky Flanagan Out Out
28 авг 2024
