Towards the Problem of Derivation Modelling (a case study of prefixal verbs in Modern German)

The article recaps the attempts to describe some word-formation elements, the verbal prefixes and semi-prefixes both of them of frequent use in languages, especially in modern German. From this perspective, the verbal prefixes in German, separable and inseparable, derived from noun and verbal stems are retaining much of the original meaning of the initial form. The relevance in the observation of semi-prefixes is revealed in their dual nature, i. e. their similarities with prefixes and the features they share with the respective adverbs and prepositions (from synchronic point of view).

verbal word-formation, derivation, model, prefix, semi-prefix, derivative unit, stem, synchronal, semantic motivation