1、Chapter 4 Word Formati on1. AffixationAffixation is the process of forming words by adding derivationia affixes to stems. It is also called derivation. Words fromed in this way are derivatives.Accord ing to this positi on affixed occupy in words; affixati on falls in to two catergories:prefixation*L

2、 Suffixatio n1) PrefixationPrefixatio n is a way of formi ng new words by add ing prefixes to stems. Usually, prefixes do not cha nge the parts of speech of a word. Their chief function is to modify its meaning, although there are exceptions.Prefixes can be divided, based on their meaning, into : ne

3、gative prefixes; reversative prefixes; pejorative prefixes; prefixes of degree or size; locative prefixes; prefixes of time and order; nu mber prefixes and miscela neous prefixes. Negative prefixes:ab- : abno rmaldis- : disobeyin- (il-, ir- im-): in justice, illegal, impolite, irregularnon-: non-smo

4、kerun-: un willi ng Reversative prefixes:de-: dece ntralizedis-: dis un iteun-: un wrap Pejocative prefixesmal-: maltreatmis-: mistrustpseudo-: pseduo-scie nee Prefixes of degree or sizearch-: archbishopextra-: extra-str onghyper-: hyperactivemacro-: macrocosmmicro-: microcomputermini-: mini-electio

5、 nout-: outliveover-: overweighsub-: subhead ingsuper-: suprefreezesur-: surtaxultra-: ultra-c on servativeun der-: un derdeveloped Prefixes of orientation and attitudeanti-: anti-nuclearcontra-: contraflowpro-: pro-student Locative prefixesextra-: extracellularfore-: foreheadinter-: intercityintra-

6、: intra-party: Prefixes of time and orderex-: ex-wifefore-: foretellre-: reconsider Number prefixesmono-: monologuebi-: bicycletri-: tiranglequadra -quadri): quadrupedpenta-: pentagonhexa-: heagonhepta-: Heptathlonocta (octo)-: octopusnona-: nonagondeca-:decadesemi- (hemi-): semicirclemulti-: multi-

7、pupose Miscellaneous prefixesauto-: autobiographyneo-: neo-Nazipan-: pan-Europe2) SuffixationSuffixation is the process of forming new words by adding suffixes to the end of stems.The chief role of a suffix is not to modify the meaning of a stem, rather to change the grammatical function of a stem,t

8、hough there are a fes exceptions.Suffixes can be divided into noun suffixes, adjective suffixes, adverb suffixes and verb suffixes.2. Compounding1) DefinitionCompounding is a process of word formation by which two or more stems are put together to make one word. The word formed in this way is called

9、 a compound.2) Characteristics of compounds Phonetic featuresThe word stress of a compound usually falls on the first element, while in a free phrase, the second element is usually stressed. If a compound has two stresses, it is the first element that receives the primary stress. Semantic featureThe

10、 meaning of a compound is a semantic unity, which, usually is not the total sum of all the meanings of the constituent words in a compound. Grammatical featureA compound usually plays a single grammatical role in a sentence.3. Conversion1) DefinitionConversion is the formation of new words by conver

11、ting words of one part of speech to the words of another part of speech, without changes in morphological structures.Words created are new only in a grammatical sense.2) Types of conversion Coversion to Nounsa. verb to nounb. adjective to nounc. miscellaneous conversion Conversion to Verbsa. noun to

12、 verbb. adjective to verbc. miscellaneous conversion3) Semantic features of conversion Verb to nounThe new words obtained through conversion are usually related to the original words in the following ways:state of mind or sensationevent or activity result of the action doer of the action tool or ins

13、trument to do the action with place of the action Noun to verbto put in or on Nto give N or to provide with Nto remove N fromto do with Nto be or act with as Nto make or change into Nto send or go by N Adjective to noun (full conversion, partial conversion)Words fully converted : a noun converted fr

14、om an adjective has all the characteristics of noun s. It can take an ide ntical article oe)s.Words partially converted: do not posses all the qualities a noun does. They must be used together with definite articles. They retain some of the adjective features. Words of this class generally refer to

15、a group of the kind.4. Blending1) DefinitonBlending is the fomation of new words by combining parts of two words or a word plus a part of another word3) Categories of blendinghead + tail: botel= boat + hotel, autocide, motel, slurb, cremains, chunnel head+ head: sitcom= situation + comedy, telex, co

16、msat, Amerind head + word: Eurasian= Europe + Asian, medicare, telequiz, autocamp word + tail: lunarnaut= lunar + astronaut, bookmobile, workfare, tourmobileThe overwhelming majority of blends are nouns, very few are verbs and adjectives are even fewer.5. Clipping1) DefintionClipping is to shorten a

17、 longer word by cutting a part of the original and using what remains instead.2) Types of clipping front clipping: “phone”from telephone back clipping: “ad”from advertisement front and back clipping: “flu ”from influenza phrase clipping: “pub”from public house6. Acronymy1) DefintionAcronymy is the p

18、rocess of forming new words by joining the initial letters of names of social and political organizations or special phrases and technical terms. 2) Types of acronomy Initialisms: are words formed from the initial letters of words and pronounced letter by lettere.g.: VOA= Voice of AmericaIMF = International Monetary Fund Acronyms: are words formed from the initial letters of words but pronounced as a normal word.e.g.: NATO= North