reduplikace

Reduplicace (also known as reduplication in English) is a linguistic process in which all or part of a base word is repeated to form a new word or to modify its meaning. The repetition can indicate plurality, aspect, intensity, diminutive, or other grammatical or lexical functions, and it occurs in many language families.

Types include full reduplication, in which the entire base is repeated, and partial reduplication, which repeats only a segment of the base. In Indonesian, reduplication is common for forming plurals or collecting expressions, as in rumah-rumah meaning houses or orang-orang meaning people. Partial reduplication can express iterative or intensive readings in various languages, a function that varies across linguistic contexts.

Functions: Reduplications can signal plurality, repetition, habitual or iterative aspect, emphasis, or endearment in some languages. They can also create new lexical items that are transparent or lexically fixed. Some languages distinguish productive reduplication (regularly forming new words) from fixed reduplicated phrases that function more like compounds or fixed expressions.

Typology and distribution: Reduplicative patterns are attested in languages across Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas, including Indonesian, Malay, and many Filipino languages, as well as various Bantu and Austronesian languages, with limited forms in some European languages. The process interacts with phonology and morpho-syntax; some languages allow phonological adjustments during copying to preserve pronunciation patterns.

Other uses: In biology and genetics, reduplikace (reduplication) refers to duplication of genomic material, observed in genome doubling (polyploidy) or segmental duplications, and is unrelated to linguistic reduplication.