Word formation is the process of creating new words in a language. This can occur through various methods, such as derivation, where prefixes or suffixes are added to existing words, like adding “-ness” to “happy” to form “happiness.” Another method is compounding, which combines two or more words, such as “tooth” and “brush” to create “toothbrush.” Additionally, blending merges parts of two words, like “smog” from “smoke” and “fog.” Acronyms are also a form of word formation, where the initial letters of a phrase create a new word, such as “NASA” from “National Aeronautics and Space Administration.”