词汇学论文构词法[1]

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 used has been to employ means internal to the language itself 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 used 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 processes are :
-Affixation
-Compounding
-Conversion
The minor word-formational processes are :
-Abbreviation
-Back formation
-Onomatopoeia
Key W ord : 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 bases . There are two types of derivative . One bases on free root with affix or bound root , the other bases on bound with affix or other bound root .
1.1 Types of affixes
- prefixes
- suffixes
- infixes
Modern English has a number of highly productive affixes. For example, the prefix 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. Likewise, the suffix –n ess can be added to an adjective make a noun designating the quality express by the adjective, its nouniness, so to speak.
1.2Two types of derivative’s structure
1.2.1 Free root + affix/bound root
1) prefix + free root
e.g.: In definite (a. uncertain), un forgettable (a. memorable) , mini bus (coach)
2)free + suffix
e.g. : wealth y (a. rich) , success ful (a, achieving aims) , extreme ly
(adv, to a very high de.g.ree) , comfortab ly(adv. in a comfortable
way)
3)prefix +free root + suffix
e.g. : en rich ment (a. sb/sth being rich or richer) , in ternation al (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
1.2.2Bound 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 several 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 used in
scientific study for making very small thing look larger)
2Compounding
Composition or compounding is a word-formation process consisting of joining two or more bases to form a new unit, that is, a compound. Compounding is perhaps the most common way of expanding the vocabulary of English. It allows users to combine two familiar words to form a new lexeme.
V ery often compounds are written as two words, which means that they are accepted into dictionaries a little reluctantly. Certainly, dictionaries seem not to list compounds in anything like the numbers in which they are in use. This may be justified perhaps because 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 .
2.1Compound Nouns
n. + n.: bar code , mouse mat , Website
a. + n.: blueprint , compact disc
adv. + n.: off chance , overdose , underclothes
-ing + n.: learning strate.g.y , marketing campaign , parking meter
n. + v.: daybreak , earthquake , parking meter
adv + n : downfall , income , offset , output , uplift
v. + adv.: get-together , handout , makeup
n. + -ing: air-conditioning , brainstorming , family planning
prep.+n.: afternoon , by-product , overcoat
2.2Compound Adjectives
As adjective is a core : airsick , band-new ; dark-blue , icy-cold ;
all-mighty , evergreen , overripe
As noun is a core : blue-collar , present-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 ; absent-minded ,
half-done , newly-built
2.3Compound V erbs
1)Formed by back-formation : house-keep from housekeeper
windowshop from window-shopping
henpeck from henpecked
2)Formed by conversion : to blue-print
to cold-shoulder
to honeymoon
3) adv. + v. : cross-question
offset
overthrow
3Conversion
Conversion is a word-formation whereby a word of a certain word-class is shifted into a word of another without the addition of an affix. It is also called zero derivation. In other words, conversion or zero derivation is a type word class change without the addition, removal ,or change of any element in the word. In this process a noun maybe used as a verb or a verb can be used as a noun. Furthermore, a noun can be used attributively as an adjective. The most frequent type of conversion is from noun to verb, probably because there are so relatively few verbalizing affixes in English.
3.1 n.→ v.
1)to put in/on, such as, bottle(n.)→to bottle(=to put …into a bottle)
2)to give, to provide with, such as, butter(n.) →to butter(=to spread butter
on)
3)to deprive of, such as, skin(n.) →to skin(=to remove the skin from)
4)to…with, such as, hammer(n.) →to hammer(=to strike with a hammer)
5)to be/act as …with respect to, such as, ape(n) →to ape(=to imitate like a
ape)
6)to make/change…into, such as, fool(n.) →to fool(=to make a fool of)
7)to send…/go by, such as, bicycle(n.) →to bicycle(=to go by bicycle)
3.2adj.→ v.
bare(adj.) →to bare, calm(adj.) →to clam, brave(adj.) →to brave
3.3v.→ n.
V erb converting into noun express the verb’s original action or condition mostly, such as, attempt, look, swim, smile, walk, etc.
3.4adj.→ n.
Most adjective can be used as noun, such as, an American, an Canadian,
etc. There are three type of conversion, full conversion, partial conversion
and special conversion.
3.5n.→ adj.
a brick garage (The garage is brick.)
a cotton dress (The dress is cotton.)
a gold watch, an iron box, the jo
b market
4Shortening
Abbreviation or shortening is the way of shortening or simplifying syllables to make new words. There are various forms of abbreviation, but main forms are four: clipped word, initialism, acronym, blend.
4.1 Clippings
Speakers of English have a great tendency to shorten words. This term refers to the process by which a word of two or more syllables is shortened without a change in its function taking place. It includes apocope, aphaeresis, front and back clipping, and syncope.
1) Apocope
approx.← approximately, auto← automobile
2) Aphaeresis
burger→ hamburger, bus→ omnibus
3) Front and back clippings
The shortening may occur at the start and the end of the word. e.g., flu(=influenza) / fridge(=refrigerator) / tec(=detective)
4) Syncope
fluidics← fluidonics, fossilation← fossilization
Contractions which is the clipping word with punctuation also can be regarded as this type.
4.2 Initialisms and Acronyms
Initialisms are words from the initial letters of words which are pronounced as sequences of letters e.g., EEC. Acronyms are also formed from the initial letters of words, but are pronounced as a word, e.g. radar(radio detecting and ranging). Acronyms have always been an integral part of computer culture, and they have since spawned a new language on the Internet. Commonly thought of as a series of letters that make up a “word” there is a distinction between acronyms and shorthand.
4.3Blends
Blends are words formed by combining the first element of the first word and the last element of the second word. Blends are created originally for comic effect. Following are some examples:
Chunnel(=channel + tunnel) / brunch(=breakfast + lunch) / motel(=motorist+hotel)
5Back-formation
Back-formation is the process of word-building by which elements are subtracted from a complex word.
e.g. beggar---beg burglar---burgle
The majority of backformed words are verbs. There are two types of syntactic relation in verb compounds formed by backformation:
1)Object + verb as sightsee (from sight-seeing) meaning somebody sees
sights. Similar examples are: globe-trot(from globe-trotter or
globe-trotting).
2)Adverbial + verb, as spring-clean (from spring-cleaning) meaning
somebody cleans in the spring.
Back-formations of all kinds are more frequently found in informal than in formal language.
6Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is a word-formation which imitate the sound. Imitative words are words formed by imitation of sound. Imitative words divide into primary onomatopoeia and secondary onomatopoeia.
The barking of a dog.
The crack of a whip.
The roll of thunder.
The tinkling of bells.
There are three types of words formed by imitation of sound:
1)The repetition of words: quack; ticktack
2)The repetition of words with a vowel change: clitter-clatter; ping-pong;
tick-tack.
3)Repeating one or more syllables with a consonant change : rub-a-dubt;
ran-dan
Reference: Wang Rongpei, Wang Zhijiang, An Advanced Reader of English Lexicology, Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2006
汪榕培，王之江，《英语词汇学》，上海外语教育出版社，2008。