In this work we try to answer the following questions:How do words formed by derivation and compounding get their meaning? What are the factors involved and what is the balance between them? Are compounding and derivation rules sensitive to the semantic of their bases in the same manner? The analysis is focused on Portuguese deverbal nouns and adjectives (2.) as well as on nominal compounds (3.) formed by noun-noun [NN]N and noun-adjective [NA]N.
We believe that the formation of meaning in the word is independent of syntax.
We state that the responsible for the meaning construction in word formation is semantic coindexation. Coindexation operates between features of the constituents (affix and base or compound bases) and of the maximal semantic frame associated with them.
Coindexation is ruled by the maximal conciliability principle. This principle prevents the chaotic linking between the features, because it only allows the linkage of those that semantically better fit with each other.
