Reduplication

Reduplication is a morphological process in which a word or part of a word is repeated. It may be completely reduplicated or with a small change. The reduplicated element is called the reduplicant.

Three common types of reduplication in English are ablaut reduplication, rhyming reduplication and exact reduplication. In ablaut reduplication the word is repeated and the internal vowels are altered. The first vowel is usually a high vowel and the reduplicated ablaut variant is usually a low vowel. In rhyming duplication it is usually the first segment of the reduplicated variant which is altered.

Here are examples of the three types of reduplication:

Ablaut Reduplication

chit-chat hip-hop flip-flop splish-splash zig-zag

Rhyming Reduplication

itsy-bitsy helter-skelter razzle-dazzle super-duper walkie-talkie 

Exact Reduplication

bye-bye knock-knock no-no so-so yum-yum

Reduplication is most common in informal expressions. In exact redupllication, the whole word is repeated, but in ablaut reduplication and rhymping reduplication, the reduplicated element is a little different. Reduplication can be described as a morphological process, and is common in many languages.