Derivation, in descriptive linguistics and traditional grammar, the formation of a word by changing the form of the base or by adding affixes to it (e.g., “hope” to “hopeful”). ... It is a major source of new words in a language. In historical linguistics, the derivation of a word is its history, or etymology.
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Derivation, in descriptive linguistics and traditional grammar, the formation of a word by changing the form of the base or by adding affixes to it (e.g., “hope” to “hopeful”). ... It is a major source of new words in a language. In historical linguistics, the derivation of a word is its history, or etymology.