incorporation (n.) (inc)

In the study of word-formation, a general term for any kind of morphological element found within a word (especially, within a verb). pronouns and particles are among the elements which may be incorporated, but the term is specifically used for noun incorporation, where a noun stem is used within a verb to form a complex verb. The process carries a variety of functions, such as narrowing the semantic range of the verb, or varying the information structure of the sentence. Incorporation has been much discussed in linguistic theory because of its unclear status in relation to the LEXICON (where it can be handled as a process of DERIVATION) or the SYNTAX (where it can be handled as a result of MOVEMENT TRANSFORMATIONS).