Which term refers to a linguistic device that creates compound words via central affixes?

Which term refers to a linguistic device that creates compound words via central affixes?

• A. Interfixes
• B. Prefixes
• C. Suffixes
• D. Infixes

Answer: (A)

Think about how some languages form new words by sticking two bases together with a little linking piece in the middle. That middle piece is an interfix: a small morpheme that sits between two stems to bind them into a single compound word. It isn’t attached to the front or end of a single base (like a prefix or suffix), and it isn’t inserted inside one base to modify it (that would be an infix). The role of an interfix is precisely to connect two parts, smoothing the transition between them and creating the compound. That’s why interfixes are the best fit for describing a device that creates compound words via central affixes.

Think about how some languages form new words by sticking two bases together with a little linking piece in the middle. That middle piece is an interfix: a small morpheme that sits between two stems to bind them into a single compound word. It isn’t attached to the front or end of a single base (like a prefix or suffix), and it isn’t inserted inside one base to modify it (that would be an infix). The role of an interfix is precisely to connect two parts, smoothing the transition between them and creating the compound. That’s why interfixes are the best fit for describing a device that creates compound words via central affixes.