Unit 3

Word Formation: compounding

Compounding is a process of word formation by which two independent words are put together to make one word. The word formed in this way is called compound

A. According to orthographic criterion, compounds are written in three ways:

1) solid, such as bedtime

2)hyphenated, such as above-mentioned

3) open, such as reading material

Phonologically, compounds can often be identified as having a main stress on the first element and a secondary stress on the second element.

`old /friends

`new /friends

`pure /scientists

Semantically, compounds can often be identified as “ having a meaning which may be related to but can not simply be inferred from the meaning of its parts.

A darkroom is not just a room that is dark, rather a room used for photographic processing.

1.

Noun Compounds

In politics:

a hot line: a telephone line for swift communication in emergencies between Moscow and Washington.

(热线 )

hard-liner: a person following an

uncompromising or extreme policy

In economics:

unit pricing: the pricing of a commodity expressed per unit of weight, volume,etc. ( 单价与兑价分标法 )

siege economics: extremely strict economical measures (极其严格的节约措施 )

In military fields:

cruise missile: a low-flying subsonic guided missile ( 巡航导弹 )

laser bomb: bomb guided by laser 激光导弹

fox-bat (狐蝠式战斗机 )

In science and technology:

black hole: a hypothetical celestial region formed from a collapsed star. (黑洞 )

biological clock: inherent mechanism that regulates cyclic physiological process in a living organism.(生物钟 )

strobe light: higher intensity flashing light频闪放电管

In social life:

identity crisis: a state of psychological confusion in one's personality.个性危机

group therapy: the treatment of a group of patients in regular sessions where problems are shared in group discussion:

小组疗法

encounter group: a group of people who meet to develop understanding of others by honest exchange of feelings, opinions, etc.交朋友小组

shield law: a law that pretexts journalists from forced disclosure of confidential news sources.新闻来源保障法

answering service: a commercial service that answers telephone calls for its clients.营利性的代客接听电话的服务处

demand scheduling: flight scheduling on the part an airline according to the specific demand of a passenger.按乘客要求安排航空旅行日程 .

silence vow: a vow to keep silence about something secret保守秘密誓词

heartbeat: The heart beats. revolving door: the door that revolves

The analysis of the noun compound structures:

1. subject + predicate:

2. predicate + object: pickpocket: to pick the pocket housekeeping: to keep the house

3. Verb + adverbial: There are five kinds in this type:

a) a prepositional phrase used as an adverbial

(a)The adverbial relation of place:

diving board: diving from the board

living room: live in a room

waiting room: wait in a room

(b)The instrumental relation of an adverbial:

sewing machine: sew with a machine

walking stick: walk with a machine

参见 258

4. subject + object:

steamboat: The steam powers the boat.

honey bee: The bee produces honey

5. appositive:

a peasant girl: a girl who is a peasant

a: an off-the-cuff opinion 临时想起的意见b: round-the-clock discussion 连续 24 小时的讨论会c: on-the-spot observation

2. Compound Adjectives:

1) the compound adjectives coming from adverbials:

d: the ahead-of-schedule general election 提前举行的大选e: an off-camera announcer 影屏外的播音员f: the first on-scene attempt to detect life on Mars 实景考察

a: a back-up generator 备用发电机b: a stand-up collar 竖领c: a walk-in closet 人可以走进去的大壁橱d: a see-through shirt 透明的衬衫

2) the compound adjectives coming from the phrasal verbs:

3) the compound adjectives coming from infinitive phrases:

a: take-home payb: a cross-border raidc: a keep-fit class （保健班）

a: an easy-to-paint portrait

b: a difficult-to-operate machine

c: hard-to-get-at volumes

4) compound adjectives coming from the compressed attributive clauses:

d: a can't-be-put-down book

e: a never-to-be-forgotten event

f: his higher-than-average wages

The women have outgrown the jumping-onto-the-chair-at -the-sight-of -a-mouse era.

1) The common way to form a �compound verb is by means of back -formation. The back-formation is a process of word formation by which a word is �created by dropping the supposed or imagined affixes:

3: Compound Verbs:

d: air-condition: from air-conditioning

a: mass-produce: from mass production

b: window-dress: from window-dressing 布置橱窗

c: proof-read: from proof-reader

e: edit: from editor

f: automate; automation

g: gloom: from goomy

h: greed: from greedy

I: to window-shop: from window-shopping: look at displays of goods in store windows without entering the stores to buy anything.

j: baby-sit: from baby-sitting: care for children, usually during a short absence of the parents.

2) A compound verb can also be formed by means of analogy:

a: chain-drink: from chain-smoke

b: bottle-feed: feed from a bottle. from breast-feed: � �feed from a �mother's breast

From the stylistic point of view:

1. usu. used as colloquialisms:

e.g. a: Don't nit-pick with me. ( find fault with me )

b: He sweet-talked her into not being so sore. ( coax by flattery )

2. usu. used in news reports:

e.g. After leaving Washington he job-hopped, serving briefly as operating vice-president of the bank.

(job-hop: change jobs frequently)

hand-wash: to wash by hand

cold rinse: to rinse in the cold water

3. in advertisements:

warm iron: to iron with moderate heat

Line dry （一晾就干）

drip-dry （滴干；易快速晾干）

e.g. Leave all that out and remember only that Hugh Hefiner is a man who chain-drinks Pepsis.

From the viewpoint of communicative function and communicative value:

1) humorous:

2) terse:

a: Cans are flash-cooked for six seconds rather than sterilised for 60 �minutes. ( flash-cook: to cook by a very short exposure to intense heat )

b: So far I have press-shown 18 films. ( press-show: show to the press before public presentation )

e.g. He announced a series of surprise summit meetings that will have him jet-hopping from island to island.

( jet-hop: travel from place to place by jetcraft )

3) vivid and impressive