The only way to distinguish a back formation from the other two types is by dating. The older term is the original, even if it is the more complex form. Generation Generation is the creation of new words through combinations of roots and affixes. Unwisely is derived from the root wise . Compounding Compounding or composition is the use of two or more roots to form a word.
Egomania is the composition of ego and mania .
One particular type of compounding is the phrasal verb . It is a type of composition where several words combine to form a verb, but instead of combining into a single word they combine into a phrase. Examples are get up , turn about , and take down . Over time, the spaces between the words in the phrase are often lost, forming a single word. Blending A blend or portmanteau word is the result from a specific type of compounding, one where several words are fused into one.