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Word-Formation (Word Derivation) : Grigoryeva M

The document discusses different types of word formation in English, including affixation, conversion, compounding, and abbreviation. It describes affixation processes like suffixation and prefixation, and explains how affixes can be classified based on their meaning and the part of speech they form. Conversion is defined as changing a word's part of speech without changing its form. The document provides examples to illustrate different word formation types and processes.

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Armine Suvaryan
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39 views

Word-Formation (Word Derivation) : Grigoryeva M

The document discusses different types of word formation in English, including affixation, conversion, compounding, and abbreviation. It describes affixation processes like suffixation and prefixation, and explains how affixes can be classified based on their meaning and the part of speech they form. Conversion is defined as changing a word's part of speech without changing its form. The document provides examples to illustrate different word formation types and processes.

Uploaded by

Armine Suvaryan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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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
shortening and
word-derivation word-composition
abbreviation
affixation
conversion
Minor types of word-formation

word-formation
sound- and back sound
blending
stress interchange formation imitation
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 formulas
which specify the class membership of
Immediate Constituents and the directions of
motivation

Suffixal derivatives,
Prefixal derivatives,
Conversions,
Compound words
a) structural patterns
specify the base classes and individual
affixes which refer derivatives to specific
parts of speech
EX Adj + ish (resemblence)
c) structural –semantic patterns
specify semantic peculiarities of bases and
individual meanings of affixes
EX -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
mixed
suffixation prefixation
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
HYBRIDS
are 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 affixes
take 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 Prefixation
 words are formed with the words are formed with the
help of suffixes help of prefixes
 changes a part-of-speech does not change a part-of-
meaning (e.g. work – speech meaning (e.g.
worker) usual – unusual)
 transfers a word into a about 25 prefixes form one
different semantic group part of speech from
(e.g. child – childhood) another (e.g. head – to
 is characteristic of noun behead)
and adjective formation is characteristic of verb
formation
Main types of word-formation

word-formation
shortening and
word-derivation word-composition
abbreviation
affixation
conversion
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) To face (verb)
 meaning: a front part of meaning: to turn the
the head from the face towards sb/smth
forehead to the chin
 paradigm: paradigm:
-s, pl. - s, 3rd p. sg.
-’s, poss. c., sg -ed, past ind., past part.
-s’, poss. c., pl -ing, pres. part., gerund
 functions functions
Subject, Object 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 substantives
EX to jump – a jump

 Adjectivation (adv adj)


EX go down- down floor
Conversion in Different Parts of Speech

form word noun


EX ups and downs

affix noun
EX . Freudism and all other ‘isms’ of modern life.

interjection verb
EX 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 Occasional Conversion


 the use of a word is the use of a word is not
recorded in the dictionary registered by the
dictionary
occurs momentarily, through
the immediate need of
the situation, brings out
the meaning more vividly

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