Interfixation

Interfixation is a linguistic phenomenon describing the insertion of sounds or syllables between existing morphemes or words to facilitate pronunciation or to create a new, often informal or jocular, word. It is distinct from epenthesis, which involves inserting sounds within a single morpheme. Interfixation commonly occurs in colloquial speech and can be observed in the formation of new words or in the playful modification of existing ones.

One common context for interfixation is the creation of compound words where a linking sound is added. For example, in English, a linking 's' might be inserted in words like "gameskeeper" (though "gamekeeper" is more standard) or an 'r' in "refrigerator" might be pronounced as part of a new word. This often happens unintentionally during rapid speech.

Another aspect of interfixation involves adding elements to create a humorous or expressive effect. This can be seen in reduplication with added sounds, or in the alteration of common phrases. The inserted elements do not typically carry semantic meaning themselves but serve a phonetic or stylistic purpose. The term is less commonly used in formal linguistic analysis compared to related concepts like epenthesis or blending, but it captures a specific type of word formation and phonetic modification.