Question

The open-endedness of language is a feature that refers to:

• A. A situation in which new words are unable to produce
• B. A situation in which new words are possible by alterations
• C. A situation in which a person faces problem in expressing intended ideas
• D. A process in which words are borrowed

Answer 1

Answer:

B. A situation in which new words are possible by alterations

Open-Endedness of Language (also known as productivity)

This is a fundamental feature of human language which means:

🔹 Language allows infinite creativity — we can create and understand new words, phrases, and sentences that have never been used before.

Key Aspects:

• New words can be created through:

  • Derivation (e.g., happiness from happy)

  • Compounding (e.g., toothbrush)

  • Borrowing (from other languages)

  • Blending (e.g., brunch)

  • Acronyms (e.g., NASA)

• New sentences can be formed infinitely by applying grammar rules.