动宾式离合词的形成路径是多样的，除了词汇化与去词汇化这两条已知路径之外，离合词可以通过构词法而直接形成，如“洗澡”；也可能通过重新分析而产生，如“睡觉”“洗浴”。离合词由于可以离析，因此其构成语素容易发生词义演变。离合词的后一个语素容易成为较活跃的名词性语素，可以参与构词；前一个语素也可能发生演变，“睡”就因“睡觉”而引申出及物性用法，同时词义也发生了变化。离合词并非词汇化的中间阶段，其离析性有可能逐渐增强。

The formation paths of separable verb-object compounds are variable. In addition to the two conventional paths of lexicalization and de-lexicalization, the separable verb-object compounds can be directly formed by word formation, such as xizao; or by re-analysis of the structure, such as shuijiao and xiyu. The separable form can trigger the semantic change of the morphemes. The latter morpheme of a separable word tends to become ane active noun morpheme, which can participate in word formation; the former morpheme may also evolve—the transitivity of shui is derived from shuijiao and the meaning of shui has also changed. Separable words are not the middle stage of lexicalization, and their separation might be gradually strengthened.