Abstract

This study focuses on two derivational mechanisms found in a group of new words in contemporary Italian: prefixation with anti- and the derivation of socalled nomina actionis. The aim of the research is to demonstrate how in action nouns suffixed with -mento and then prefixed with anti-, there is a reduction of the segmental material that makes the base action noun coincide with the one that arises by conversion from a verb with the addition of a final -o. After describing how the anti- prefix forms denominal adjectives and how action nouns can be formed in Italian, the analysis moves on to all derivatives with the prefix in question and the suffix -mento on Italian pages of Google to compare them with forms where the base coincides with the action noun in -o: antisoffocaménto and antisòffoco.