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