1. WORD-FORMATION (Word derivation) Lecture # 4
Grigoryeva M.

2. 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

3. 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

4. Main types of word-formation
word-derivation
word-composition
affixation
conversion
shortening and
abbreviation

5. Minor types of word-formation
sound- and
stress interchange
back
formation
sound
imitation
blending

6. 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

7. DPs represent the derivational structure at different levels:
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

8. 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)

9. WORD-DERIVATION
Affixation Conversion

10. Affixation formation of words by adding derivational affixes to bases
one of the most productive ways of word- building

11. Types of Affixation
affixation
suffixation
prefixation
mixed

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 3. Semantically
Monosemantic (one meaning)
-ness “female” lioness
Polysemantic (some meanings)
-hood
“condition or quality” womanhood
“collection or group” brotherhood

16. 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

17. 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-

18. 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-

19. Monosemantic (one meaning)
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

20. 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

21. 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)

22. 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

23. 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

24. Main types of word-formation
word-derivation
word-composition
affixation
conversion
shortening and
abbreviation

25. 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

26. Conversion To face (verb) Face (noun)
meaning: to turn the face towards sb/smth
paradigm:
- s, 3rd p. sg.
-ed, past ind., past part.
-ing, pres. part., gerund
functions
Predicate
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

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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

30. 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