suppletion

[ suh-plee-shuhn ]

nounGrammar.
  1. the use in inflection or derivation of an allomorph that is not related in form to the primary allomorph of a morpheme, as the use of better as the comparative of good.

Origin of suppletion

1
1275–1325; Middle English: supplementation, supplement <Medieval Latin supplētiōn- (stem of supplētiō) a filling up, equivalent to supplēt(us), past participle of supplēre to make complete, (sup-sup- + plē-, stem of plēre to fill (see full1) + -tus past participle suffix) + -iōn--ion

Words Nearby suppletion

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British Dictionary definitions for suppletion

suppletion

/ (səˈpliːʃən) /


noun
  1. the use of an unrelated word to complete the otherwise defective paradigm of a given word, as for example the use of went for the past tense of go

Origin of suppletion

1
C14: from Medieval Latin supplētiō a completing, from Latin supplēre to supply 1

Derived forms of suppletion

  • suppletive, noun, adjective

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