WORD-FORMATION (Word derivation)
Lecture # 4
Grigoryeva M.
Words are divisible into smaller units –
morphemes
All morphemes are subdivided into roots (radicals) and affixes (prefixes and suffixes)
Words consisting of a root and an affix are derivatives
Derived words are produced by the process of word-building
Word-formation
branch of Lexicology which studies the patterns on which the English language builds words
process of creating new words from resources of the language after certain semantic and structural formulas and patterns
Is one of the ways enriching vocabulary of the language
Main types of word-formation
word-formation
word-derivation word-composition
affixation
conversion
shortening andabbreviation
Minor types of word-formation
word-formationsound- and
stress interchangeback
formationsound
imitation blending
Derivational Pattern (DP)Is a regular meaningful arrangement, a structure that imposes rules on the order and the nature of the derivational bases and affixes that may be brought together.
is a meaningful combination of bases and affixes regularly reproduced indicates the grammatical part-of-speech meaning
EX verbal base + -ee = noun (‘one who is V-ed’)examine + -ee = examinee
DPs represent the derivational structure at different levels:
a) structural types. Patters of this level are structural formulaswhich specify the class membership ofImmediate Constituents and the directions ofmotivation Suffixal derivatives,Prefixal derivatives, Conversions, Compound words
a) structural patterns specify the base classes and individualaffixes which refer derivatives to specificparts of speech EX Adj + ish (resemblence)
c) structural –semantic patterns
specify semantic peculiarities of bases andindividual meanings of affixesEX -ness (female)
WORD-DERIVATION
Affixation Conversion
Affixation
formation of words by adding derivational affixes to bases
one of the most productive ways of word-building
Types of Affixation
affixation
suffixation prefixationmixed
affixation
SUFFIXATION Is the formation of the words with the help
of suffixes Suffixes usually modify the lexical
meaning of the base and transfer words to a different part of speech
Suffixes are classified into different types according to different principles
1. according to lexico-grammatical character of the base
Deverbal suffixes (added to the verbal bases)
-er, -ing, -ment, -able
Denominal suffixes (added to nominal base)
-less, - ful, -ist, -some
Deadjectival suffixes (added to adjectival base)
-en, -ly, -ish, -ness
2. According to the part of speech formed suffixes are
Noun-forming –age, -ance\ -ence, -dom, -er, -ess, -ing, -hood, -ness, -ship
Adjective-forming –able\ -ible\ -uble, -al, -ic, -ant\ -ent, -ed, --ful, -ish, -ive, -ous
Numeral- forming -fold, -teen, -ty, -th
Verb-forming –ate, -er, -fy, -ize, ish
Adverb-forming - ly, -ward, -wise
3. Semantically
Monosemantic (one meaning)-ness “female” ------------ lioness
Polysemantic (some meanings)-hood “condition or quality” ---- womanhood“collection or group” ---- brotherhood
PREFIXATION The formation of words with the help of
prefixes Modifies the lexical meaning of the base
Seldom shift words from one part of speech into another
Prefixes are classified into different types according to different principles
1. according to lexico-grammatical character of the base
Deverbal prefixes (added to the verbal bases)
Re-, over-, out-
Denominal prefixes (added to nominal base)
Un-, de-, ex-
Deadjectival prefixes (added to adjectival base)
Un-, bi-
2. According to the class of words formed prefixes are Noun-forming
non-, sub-, ex-
Adjective-forming
un-, il-, ir-
Verb-forming
en- \ em-, be-, de-
Adverb-forming
un-, up-
3. Semantically
Monosemantic (one meaning)Ex- “former” -------- ex-husband
Polysemantic (some meanings)
dis-“not’ disadvantage
“reversal or absence of action” diseconomy
“removal of” to disbranch
“Intensification of an unpleasant action” disgrantled
4. Origin of affixes Native Suffixes –er, - ness, - dom, -ing, -hood, -ship, -let, -ful,- ish,
-ty, -en, - like, Prefixes mis-, un-, over-, be-Latin -able\ -ible, -ant\ -ent, - extra-, pre-, ultra-Greek - ist, -ism, -ite, -ize- anti-, sym-\ syn- Russian -nik French –age, -ance\-ence, -ard, - ate, -ee, -ess, en-\-em
HYBRIDSare words made up of elements derived from two or more different languages
A foreign base is combined with a native affix EX schoolboy (Greek + English)
A native base is combined with a foreign affix EX blackguard (English + French)
Productivity of affixes
Productive affixestake part in deriving new words in modern language Prefixex de-, re-, pre-, non-, un-, anti-
Suffixes:
Verb -ize\ -ise, -ate
Noun -er\-or, -ing, - ness, -ation, -ee, -ism, -ist, -ry, -ics,
Adjective -able, - ic, -ish, -ed, -less, -y
Adverb -ly
Non-productive affixes are not used very often Noun -th, -hood, -ship
Verb - en
Adjective - ful, - some, -en, -ous
Affixation
Suffixation words are formed with the
help of suffixes changes a part-of-speech
meaning (e.g. work – worker)
transfers a word into a different semantic group (e.g. child – childhood)
is characteristic of noun and adjective formation
Prefixation
words are formed with the help of prefixes
does not change a part-of-speech meaning (e.g. usual – unusual)
about 25 prefixes form one part of speech from another (e.g. head – to behead)
is characteristic of verb formation
Main types of word-formation
word-formation
word-derivation word-composition
affixation
conversion
shortening andabbreviation
Conversion
process of creating a new word from an existing word by changing its part of speech
the morphemic shape of the original word remains unchanged
The new word acquires a meaning, which differs from that of the original one though it can be easily associated with it
The converted word acquires a new paradigm and a new syntactic function
Conversion
Face (noun) meaning: a front part of
the head from the forehead to the chin
paradigm:
-s, pl.
-’s, poss. c., sg
-s’, poss. c., pl functions
Subject, Object
To face (verb)meaning: to turn the
face towards sb/smth
paradigm:
- s, 3rd p. sg.
-ed, past ind., past part.
-ing, pres. part., gerund
functions
Predicate
Conversion in Different Parts of Speech
Verbalization (noun verb) Denominal verbs EX an eye – to eye EX tame- to tame (adj verb)
Substantivation (verb noun) Deverbal substantivesEX to jump – a jump
Adjectivation (adv adj)EX go down- down floor
Conversion in Different Parts of Speech
form word nounEX ups and downs
affix nounEX . Freudism and all other ‘isms’ of modern life.
interjection verbEX pooh – to pooh-pooh
Conversion in Present-Day English
typical for one-syllable words not common to affixed words the predominant way of verb formation verbs are mainly formed from nouns and
rarely from other parts of speech highly productive
Traditional and Occasional Conversion
Traditional Conversion the use of a word is
recorded in the dictionary
Occasional Conversion
the use of a word is not registered by the dictionary
occurs momentarily, through the immediate need of the situation, brings out the meaning more vividly
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