Abbreviation noun phrases at the intersection of abbreviation and syntactic motivations

Abstract

The paper focuses on acronym-based noun phrases, i.e. noun phrases consisting of an abbreviation and a non-abbreviated lexeme. The author works with the theory of lexical motivation which presumes the existence of several types of motivation, including abbreviation and syntactic motivation. While abbreviations are formed by means of abbreviation motivation, syntactic constructions such as noun phrases are formed by means of syntactic motivation. Both types of motivation are dominant in the forming of abbreviation noun phrases. The author distinguishes and explains the differences between tautological (PIN number), semi-tautological (SIM card) and explicative noun phrases (GPRS platforms) as well as abbreviation multi-word units (USB port). The paper points out manifold functionality of each type of abbreviation noun phrase/multiword unit and presents abbreviations as productive means of forming new constructions and lexemes. Their versatile character makes abbreviations universal forms for coining new expressions of terminological character and thus contributing to multiple terminological databases of languages.