Reduplikaatio

Reduplikaatio, known in English as reduplication, is a linguistic morphological process in which a root or part of a word is repeated, sometimes with phonological adjustments. The repetition may involve the entire word (full reduplication) or only a portion of it (partial reduplication). Reduplicants can be independent morphemes or integrated into the word’s morphology, and surface realizations are not always transparent.

Functions and meanings: In many languages reduplication encodes grammatical aspect such as iterative or continuous action, habituality, intensity, or distributive meaning (each, every). It can also mark plurality, repetition, or intensification, and in some languages it yields new words or derivatives. Reduplicated forms may be productive or lexicalized as fixed expressions.

Typology and examples: Reduplication is widespread, especially in Austronesian languages where it plays a central role in aspect marking and plurality. Indonesian and Malay use reduplication for emphasis or plurality (for example orang “person” and orang-orang “people”). In Tagalog and other Philippine languages, reduplication signals ongoing actions or frequency. Similar patterns occur in several African and South Asian languages.

Phonology and diachrony: Reduplicated forms often show phonological adjustment, such as vowel harmony or assimilation, and may be shaped by prosodic structure. Diachronic processes can extend or reduce reduplication in language change, yielding fixed forms or treating the base as a stem. Reduplication remains a productive device in many languages and a focus of typological study.