Morphology

1) Compounding
Two or more words together can make a new word, which is semantically related to the components.
Example:

bin55xiang
ice_box
(冰箱)
 
fridge

nong35you21
you
bin55xiang
have
fa?(侬有冰箱伐?)
ice
Do you have a fridge?
comments: normally, one can guess the meaning of compunded words by combining the meaning of components.

2) reduplication
Verbs, adjectives and adverbs can repeat themselves to make new words, whose meanings are very similar to their original meanings
Verb

chaok21
eat
(吃)

nong35
you
chaok21chaok21
eat
kv53.(侬吃吃去。)
eat
Try to taste it.
comments:Verb+Verb means try to Verb

adj/adv

qu55
beautiful
(美)

nong35
you
ya21qu55
very
ya21qu
beautiful
e.(侬拁麴拁麴额。)
very
You are very very beautiful.
comments:adj/adv+adj/adv means more adj/adv

Language Documentation Training Center