Agro-, hydro- and phyto- in French.

Hydroponics, hydrometer, hydrodynamic, phytology, phytogenic, phytochemistry, agrotourism, agronomist or agro-city and similar terms are familiar to all of us. But not only German-speaking people are hydro-, phyto- and agro-phile. The French wash with gel hydroalcoolique and Italians enjoy their prodotti agroalimentari. The proposed project will investigate these neoclassical elements, today massively found in everyday language. In particular, the focus will lay on the elements agro-, hydro- and phyto- in French and Italian. These neoclassical elements are bound morphemes with a lexical-conceptual meaning, which were autonomous words in Greek and Latin. They belong to a prestigious register of language and show a potential productivity and versatility. The average speaker uses them in a perfectly natural way. Dictionaries, too, are no longer closed to them. Today, they are found in many European languages, they combine with different linguistic elements and they belong to scientific (technical) vocabularies and common language. In the German-speaking literature these elements are called confixes, in Romance languages, by contrast, there is a multitude of descriptive terms for these bound morphemes. In the proposed project it will be investigated whether and to what extent the German concept of confixes is applicable to French and Italian? Would this methodological approach bring advantages in terms of lexicography and word-formation theory for Roman languages (definition, categorisation, etc.)? Which word- formation patterns (compounding, derivation, etc.) and which neologisms can be identified in French and Italian? Is the meaning of these linguistic elements changing? Are there differences to German language and between French and Italian? The projects analyses will focus on French and Italian databases of new words and on traditional specialised and specialised dictionaries. How are these elements presented in these different lexicons? Are there differences between traditional and specialised dictionaries or between French and Italian? These are some questions, which arise in this context. A central research hypothesis is that the meaning of the elements in question is not unambiguous, because they carry different senses. Therefore, their specific meaning can only interpreted in the concrete realisation of the complex word and in relation to the specialist field, to which the term belongs. Besides that, the semantic relations between the parts of the complex words will be studied with the aim to categorise them and to build groups. However, these neoclassical elements are not only indispensable to German or to Romance languages, but they are found nearly in all European languages.

The confixes "agro-", "hydro-" and "phyto-" in French and Italian. French and Italian are closely related languages, but they handle linguistic elements - mostly derived from classical languages differently. These elements convey the fundamental meanings of 'water', 'plants' and 'land/field'. In Italian, they are known as "confissi", while in French, they are increasingly referred to as "combining forms". In formations using these elements, both Romance languages exhibit a reversal of the word parts (e.g., "hydrothérapie") that deviates from the typical word order (determined - determinant). While French retains these elements in their original form, Italian adapts them (cf. French "phyto-" vs. Italian "fito-"). Traditionally, these elements are categorized as part of neoclassical composition, but modern approaches are gaining increasing significance, particularly in French. In German, the term "Konfix" has become widely accepted for these morphemes (e.g., in grammars and standard linguistic works). However, different approaches exist within German studies, where the contributions of André Martinet are often overlooked. New French words containing "hydro-" are frequently technical terms, with the meaning of the bound morpheme varying according to the context. The corresponding Latin element "aqua-" is also available in French. In Italian, new words with "idro-" (e.g., "idrobike") are similarly integrated into everyday language. Additionally, the word "acqua" is sometimes used creatively for Italian neologisms such as "acquachetismo" or "acquamazione". French neologisms with "agro-" are all hybrids, and the form "agri-" (as in the original "agriculture") is not used. New terms like "agro-écologie" or "agro-industrie" are often written with hyphens. In Italian, neologisms such as "agrobeauty" or "agrigelato" creatively combine these linguistic elements, frequently with English words, to convey concepts related to "natural" or "organic". These examples demonstrate how dynamically and flexibly the Italian language responds to innovations in agriculture and nature. Apart from "phytoalexine", which consists of purely Greek elements, "phyto-" is usually combined with French nouns in new words. To avoid using the "phyto-" component, paraphrases with similar meanings are often employed. Few new words with "fito-" have been recorded in Italian. Both French and Italian have homonymous linguistic elements that have different meanings, which have been created through shortening. For example, "hydro(1)-" means 'water, liquids', while "hydro(2)-" (originating from "hydrogène") conveys the meaning of 'hydrogen'. In Italian, the homonymous "idro(x)-" means 'sweat' (from a different original Greek word) and should not be confused with "hydro(1)-" meaning 'water'. Imagine this: You spend a relaxing agritourism vacation, glide on a water bike to a nature-inspired phytotherapy session and end the day with a delicious organic agrigelato all while admiring stylish outfits in the soft colors of Maria Concetta Mattei's 'Acquachetismo' at a fashion show. This is how creative and imaginative language can be!