BACK-FORMATION

----By the fourth group

二 . Back-formation逆生法

I. Definition: Back-formation is an abnormal type of word-

formation where a shorter word is derived by deleting an imagined affix from an already existing longer word in the vocabulary.

beg ← beggar edit ← editor The nouns beggar, editor appeared first in the

English language , and then the verb beg and edit.

The majority of back-formed words are verbs, for verbs can develop (or generate) a number of nouns, and various types of participial adjectives.

大多数逆生词是动词，因为（通过派生法）动词可以派生出许多名词和各种分词形容词。

to create → creator, creation, creating, created Therefore, when people come across one or mo

re apparently deverbal nouns, they often take it for granted that there must be a corresponding verb.

(因此 , 当人们遇到一个或更多的貌似由动词转化而来的名词时 , 他们想当然认为与该名词一定有一个与之对应的动词 ).

II. Classification:

According to its origin, back-formation may be formed from the following parts of speech (词类 ).

A. Verbs back-formed from nouns ending in –er , -ar , -or, -sion , -tion, etc.（ P.82）

to automate(使自动化 ) ←automation to edit← editor to televise(电视播送 )to televise← television to appreciate← appreciation

to negate( 否定 ; 否认 )← negationto butch （屠宰）← butcher

to destruct ← destructionto audit （审计）← Auditor （审计员）to spring-clean( 大扫除 )←spring-cleaningto proofread （校对）← proofreader

B. Verbs back-formed from nouns in other forms or from adjective:

to diagnose← diagnosis （ noun ） to enthuse ( 使热心，表示热心 )← enthusiasm (noun) to laze （懒惰，混日子）← lazy (adjective) to drowse ( 打瞌睡 )← drowsy (adjective)

C. Many new back-formation verbs come from compounds:

to house-keep ←housekeeper to sight-see ←sight-seeing

D. A few nouns back-formed from adjective greed (n.) ← greedy (adjective) gloom （昏暗 , 阴暗） (n.)← gloomy (adjectiv

e ）

Caution ： Some back-formations in English come fr

om words ending in –s that were singular but were mistaken for plurals,such as sherry(from the earlier sherris,taken as a plural),and pea(from pease).And this device is also used to produced nonce words,such as pensable(from indispensable )and gainly(from ungainly).

Conclusion:Back-formed words created by back-forma

tion can be used to enhance different styles of writing: some in political or scientific styles of writing, some in colloquial or journalistic style.

In modern English, a number of back-formation words have become the common core in the English vocabulary, such as air-condition, automat, beg, edit, televise, etc.