Word-Formation
Abstract : A further way besides borrowing in which the vocabulary of English has expanded to accommodate to the natural and social world in which it is ud has been to employ means internal to the language itlf for devising new word. This is the area of word-formation. Morphological productivity can be defined as the property of a given word formation process to be ud to derive a new word in a systematic fashion. Most linguists divide the word-formation into major word-formation and minor word-formation .
The major word-formational process are :
- Affixation
- Compounding
- Conversion
The minor word-formational process are :
-
Abbreviation
- Back formation
- Onomatopoeia
Key Word : affixation, derivative, compounding, abbreviation, onomatopoeia
1 Affixation
Affixation, also called derivation, is a process in which a free morph is combined with a bound morph, a prefix, or a suffix. It is generally defined as the formation of words by adding derivational affixes to different types of bas . There are two types of derivative . One bas on free root with affix or bound root , the other bas on bound with affix or other bound root .
1.1 Types of affixes
- prefixes
耐心地
- suffixes
- infixes
among是什么意思
Modern English has a number of highly productive affixes. For example, the prefix 腿短穿什么裤子over can be added to verbs which express activities to indicate that too much has taken place, i.e. something has been overdone, cf. overcook, overcoat, overstay. Likewi, the suffix –ness can be added to an adjective make a noun designating the quality express by the adjective, its nouniness, so to speak.
1.2 Two types of derivative’s structure
1.2.1 Free root + affix/bound root
1) prefix + free root
e.g.: agrarian Indefinite (a. uncertain), unforgettable (a. memorable) ,diver minibus (coach)
2) free + suffix
e.g. : wealthy新东方戚颖 (a. rich) , successobfuscateful (a, achieving aims) , extremely (adv, to a very ) , comfortably (adv. in a comfortable way)六级作文开头
3) prefix +free root + suffix
e.g. : enef海外留学richment (a. sb/sth being rich or richer) , international (a. connected with two or more countries) , unchangeable (a. that can not be changed)
4) combining form + free root
e.g. Afro-American , Afro-Asian , techno-chemistry , microwave
1.2.2 Bound root + affix/bound root
1) prefix + bound root (without formation)
e.g. contradict (v. to say sb has said is wrong) , descend (v. go down) , despair (v. give up all hope)
2) bound root (without formation)+ suffix
e.g. confidence (n. trust in) , liberate (v. emancipation) , linguist (n. a person who knows veral foreign languages well)
3) prefix + bound root (without formation)
e.g. distinctive (a. special ) , intolerable (a. can’t bear) , contradiction (n. a lack of agreement between facts)
4) combining form + combining form
e.g. macrobiosis (n. long life) , microscope (n. an instrument ud in scientific study for making very small thing look larger)
2 Compounding
Composition or compounding is a word-formation process consisting of joining two or more bas to form a new unit, that is, a compound. Compounding is perhaps the most common way of expanding the vocabulary of English. It allows urs to combine two familiar words to form a new lexeme.
Very often compounds are written as two words, which means that they are accepted into dictionaries a little reluctantly. Certainly, dictionaries em not to list compounds in anything like the numbers in which they are in u. This may be justified perhaps becau compounds are frequently transparent and their meanings are relatively accessible without a dictionary. Furthermore, many of them do not become lexicalized, but have a very transitory life.
According to the words’ characteristic, there are compound nouns, compound adjectives , compound pronouns , compound verbs , compound adverbs , etc .
2.1 Compound Nouns
n. + n.: bar code , mou mat , Website
a. + n.: blueprint , compact disc
adv. + n.: off chance , overdo , underclothes
-ing + n.: , marketing campaign , parking meter
n. + v.: daybreak , earthquake , parking meter
adv + n : downfall , income , offt , output , uplift
v. + adv.: get-together , handout , makeup
n. + -ing: air-conditioning , brainstorming , family planning
义乌学校prep.+n.: afternoon , by-product , overcoat
2.2 Compound Adjectives
As adjective is a core : airsick , band-new ; dark-blue , icy-cold ; all-mighty , evergreen , overripe
As noun is a core : blue-collar , prent-day ; breaknecl , cross-country ; chicken-hearted , dog-eared , wine-colored
As –ing or –ed is a core : energy-saving , epoch-marking ; easy-going , far-reaching ; mass-produced , poverty-stricken ; abnt-minded , half-done , newly-built
