parasíntese

Parasíntese is a morphological process in Portuguese that involves the simultaneous formation of a new word by combining a prefix and a suffix with a root word, or by combining a prefix, a root, and a suffix. This process differs from simple derivation, where a prefix or suffix is added independently to a root. In parasíntese, the prefix and suffix are not productive on their own; they attach together to create the new word.

There are two main types of parasíntese. The first type involves a prefix and a suffix attaching to a root word simultaneously. For example, the word "anoitecer" is formed from the prefix "a-", the root "noite", and the suffix "-ecer". The words "noitecer" (without the prefix) or "anoite" (without the suffix) are not valid Portuguese words formed through simple derivation. The second type of parasíntese occurs when a prefix and a suffix are added to an existing word that is already derived. For instance, "esbranquiçar" is formed from the prefix "es-", the root "branco", and the suffix "-içar". However, "esbranqui" and "branquiçar" are not typically considered valid independent derivations.

Parasíntese is a productive process in Portuguese, allowing for the creation of new verbs, adjectives, and nouns. It is important to distinguish parasíntese from simple derivation, which involves the independent addition of prefixes and suffixes. Understanding this morphological process is key to analyzing word formation and etymology in the Portuguese language.