proportional analogy
"Proportional analogy" is a concept in linguistics where a new word or form is created by applying a consistent pattern observed in other words.
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Definition
C1Linguistics
(academic, technical)Creating a new word by following a pattern seen in existing words, ensuring a consistent relationship between forms.
Example
- The word 'housed' was formed by proportional analogy to 'baked' and 'loved.'
B2General
(academic, technical)A comparison between four elements where the relationship between the first pair is mirrored in the second pair, often expressed as A is to B as C is to D.
Example
- In the analogy 'cat is to kitten as dog is to puppy,' the relationship between 'cat' and 'kitten' is mirrored by 'dog' and 'puppy.'