Manifestations of derivational analogy in contemporary language practice

Hanna Kutsak, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor, Associate Professor at the Department of Ukrainian Language
National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
2 Hryhoriia Skovorody St., Kyiv 04655, Ukraine

E-mail: hannakutsak@ukma.edu.ua
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7901-2669

Heading: Articles
Language: Ukrainian

Abstract: The article is devoted to the study of manifestations of group-based analogy in contemporary Ukrainian word‑formation based on productive and non-productive word‑formation types. Word‑formation analogy with automatic and non-automatic motivation is identified. Among the principal factors of this phenomenon is the principle of linguistic economy, which is manifested in the economy of nominative means and speakers’ efforts. From the available grammatical resources of the language, the speaker selects basic or unique models for the creation of a lexeme, correlating them with reality in specific circumstances. Associative-cognitive processes or a hint, as well as a judgment (a peculiar link between the motivator and the formant of the derivative word), may serve as a transferred feature or the basis of analogy.

Without analogical comparison or a certain analogical background, understanding a new word is impossible. Analogy in word‑formation functions as a means of connection between groups of lexical units with common formal and/or semantic features. The relationship between analogy in word-formation and structural‑semantic transformations of word-formation models is traced. As these groups are replenished with new derivatives, including under the influence of word‑formation analogy, they undergo structural-semantic changes.

It is observed that the most powerful manifestation of analogy in word‑formation is the “deep” analogy, ensured primarily by group-based analogy. Word‑formation analogical processes represent productive word-formation types, activated or actualized derivatives in contemporary language practice, and also condition certain shifts in the corpus of regular models for word creation. A tendency toward the formation of new lexical units through substitutional transformations is noted. Even a non-productive word‑formation type may become a source of assimilation. Among the analyzed cases of analogy, many extend beyond the boundaries of the word‑formation model, expanding its formal‑semantic features. Analogical transformations in certain names significantly influenced the character of the derivative structure, causing the reduction of associations conditioned by the named object.

Keywords: word-formation analogy, group-based word-formation analogy, word-formation type, word-formation model, substitution.

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Received 01.08.2026  Аpproved 14.09.2026  Рublished 02.11.2026