Valency

Verb valency or valence refers to the number of arguments controlled by a verbal predicate

Valency refers to the capacity of a verb to take a specific number and type of arguments.

What is valency

TYPES OF VALENCY

VALENCY ZERO VALENCY ONE VALENCY TWO

VALENCY THREE

Example: IT IS SNOWING

Subject => it

Verb => snow

Subject does not correspond to anything in the underlying proposition.

We say that snow is a zero-argument verb.

Other example

Its raining.

Valency zero

Example: MY BROTHER SNORES

Subject => my brother

Verb => snores

This sentence has a subject but no object

They are intransitive verbs or, one-argument predicate

Other example

The dog is sleeping

Valency one

Example: CHRIS IS MAKING AN OMOLET

Subject => Chris

Verb => make

Object => an omelet

Most verbs take a subject and an object, they are two arguments predicates.

Other example

The cat killed a rat

Valency TWO

SEMATICS OF MORPHOLOGICAL

RELATIONS

Formal Processes of

Derivation

Addition : some lexemes are formed by combining morphemes, ex : armchair, busybody

Mutation :change of vowel, change of consonant, or both and by change of stress. Ex: proud -> pride, believe -> belief, choose -> choice, insult -> inslt

Formal Processes of

Derivation

Conversion or zero change : the simple change of a word of one class to another with no formal alliteration. Ex: clean, dry, equal (adjective, also verb)

Subtraction (or reduction) : by removing parts of certain lexemes new lexemes are formed (acronym and clipping)

Semantic Processes in

Derivation

Nouns represent entities ; verb represents activities ; adjective represents qualities or characteristic.

When a verb converted to a noun, the noun may refer to concrete entity a person, object or place associated with what the verb signifies.

When a verb is derived from a noun, an entity becomes a predicate an entity or status-losing its quantifiable nature but becoming part of a tense aspect system

A noun or verb converted to an adjective gives a word that names a quality associated with some entity.

Semantic Processes in

Derivation

1. Verbs formed form nouns

Roger painted the wall -> put paint on the wall

Susan peeled an apple -> remove the peel from an apple

Were bottling wine -> putting wine in bottle

2. Verbs from Adjectives

Causative ex : Ella dried the dishes -> Ella caused the dishes to be dry.

Inchoative ex: The towels dried -> The towels become dry.

3. Verbs from verbs

Repetitive ( prefix re- ) ex: re-write, re-capture, re-tell

Reversive ( undoing prefix, namely un-,de- or dis-) ex: fold unfold, lock unlock

Privative (remove or detach N) ex: arm disarm, cover uncover , load unload

4. Adjectives derived from

verbs

Active subjective (-ing) ex: amusing, charming, interesting ex: this book is boring (to me)

Passive objective (-ed, -en) ex: amused, broken, interested ex: I am bored (with / by this book)

5. Adjectives derived from

nouns

The adjective means like N, ex: childish -> like a child

The adjective means having (some quantity of) N, affected by N, displaying N, ex: muddy -> having mud

Some adjectives mean leading to N, likely to produce N ex: healthful -> leading to (good) health.

6. Adjectives derived from

adjectives

Negative -> has a prefix to indicate the negative or change the suffix ful, -less. Ex: unfinished, uneasy, painless, etc

7. Nouns derived from verbs

Action nouns, ex: the bus arrived promptly the prompt arrival of the bus

Effect nouns, ex: George replied to our letter Georges reply to our letter

Agent/ instrument nouns, ex: Harry drives Harry is a driver

Affected nouns, ex: somebody employs Harry Harry is employee

Place nouns, ex: the ship anchor here this is an anchorage

8. Nouns derived from

adjectives

Abstract nouns -> a way of treating the quality as a thing, ex: depth, warmth, width, kindness, literacy

Characterized nouns -> places characterized by what the adjective represents, ex: absentee, rapids, shallows

9. Nouns derived from nouns

Place nouns -> where the basic noun is to be found, ex: fishery, hermitage, orphanage

Person nouns -> labels for humans associated with whatever the basic noun signifies, ex: mountaineer, islander, New Yorker.