An analysis of compounding in English

Word formation processes contain compounding as one of the principal processes. In English, forming new words by compounding has been recognised since the language of Anglo-Saxons started to develop. The study aims to search for examples of compounds used in contemporary literary prose, focusing on the conceptualisation of reality. Our study will be based on an analysis of excerpted examples that will be sorted according to common features of the way the language users perceive and capture reality. To create and transfer new meanings effectively, compounding seems to be productive as two or more words are combined and function as a single word. The meaning of the compound is influenced by the meanings of its constituents and the relationship between them. Different combinations of meanings are determined by the way extralinguistic reality is classified by the language community.   Keywords: Compounding, conceptualisation, English, extralinguistic, semantics