Lexical Reduplication and Slovak Language

The study deals with lexical reduplication which has the status of a peripheral, yet legitimate way of how vocabulary is enlarged in the Slovak language. Its result is a reduplicate, a paradigmatically formed unit which – as a whole – is a reflection of its part. Reduplication (in a wider sense) is defined by a semasiological aspect, particularly in the context of structural isomorphism and distinguishing of a reproductive, replicative and reduplicative type (in a narrow sense) with the use of integrative and integrative-modificatory onomasiological categories. The core of the reduplicates is formed by a determinative type of appositional names. Reduplication is a rich source of mimémata and pragma-lexemes. Reduplicates bring a new quality into the lexicon, the quality with specific semantics and pragmatics which oscillates around the pragmatic principle of relevance and amplification. Ethno-significative model ‘X-neX’ is typical for the Slovak language; and the presence of vocalic and echo reduplicates points at the conceptual unification which is of a more universal nature.