Morphopragmatic Analysis of the Suffix -itis for the Creation of Non-Specialised Neologisms

Abstract

In Spanish, like in other languages, a new word formation pattern with the suffix -itis has emerged, which is characterised by combining common words with this (originally) neoclassical compound to create words that refer to fictional illnesses that are used in non-specialised contexts. Within neology studies, neoclassical compounding is one of the Word formation processes that has received more attention in the last decades, given the high productivity that has been observed among language users, who imitate this process to satisfy specific, and mostly punctual, expressive needs. Starting from a literature review on non-specialised -itis, this article analyses of the neologisms found on the database of the Observatori de Neologia. The analysis focuses on the formation of these neologisms, the meaning of the suffix -itis and the expressive value of the words from the point of view of morphopragmatics, in order to determine, with more precision, the humoristic and ironic nuances that previous literature has assigned to them. This detailed analysis sheds some light on the distinctive features of this suffix, and becomes a starting point for the analysis of other neoclassical combining forms that have become productive in non-specialized contexts.