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Webster's New World College Dictionary » suppletion
suppletion
suppletion definition
sup·pletion (sə plē′s̸hən)
noun
- the occurrence of an allomorph of a morpheme which has no phonological similarity to the other allomorphs (Ex.: the -en of oxen, as opposed to a form ending in -s)
- the use of an unrelated word (suppletive form) in a paradigm (Ex.: went for the past tense of go)
- the morphological process by which such replacement occurs
Etymology: ME supplecioun < ML suppletio < L suppletus: see suppletory
Related Forms:
- suppletive sup′·ple·tive (sup′lə tiv, sə plēt′iv) adjective
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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