英语词汇学名词解释

英语词汇学笔记之“名词解释篇”

1.Word --- A word is a minimal free form of a language that has a given sound and meaning and syntactic funtion.

2. Morpheme --- A morpheme is the minimal significant element in the composition of words.

3. Free morphemes or Content morphemes (Free root)--- They are morphemes that may constitute words by themselves : cat, walk.

4. Bound Morphemes or Grammatical morphemes--- They are morphemes that must appear with at least one other morpheme, either bound or free : Catts, walk+ing.

5. Bound root --- A bound root is that part of the word that carries the fundamental meaning just like a free root. Unlike a free root, it is a bound form and has to combine with other morphemes to make words. Take -dict- for example: it conveys the meaning of "say or speak" as a Latin root, but not as a word. With the prefix pre-(=before) we obtain the verb predict meaning "tell beforehand".

6. Affixes --- Affixes are forms that are attached to words or word elements to modify meaning or funtion.

7. Inflectional morphemes or Inflectional affixes --- Affixes attaches to the end of words to indicate grammatical relationships are inflectional ,thus known as inflectional morphemes.

There is the regular plural suffix -s(-es) which is added to nouns such as machines, desks.

8. Derivational morphemes or Derivational affixes--- Derivational affixes are affixes added to other morphemes to create new words.

9. Prefixes --- Prefixes are affixes that come before the word, such as, pre+war.

10. Suffixes --- suffixes are affixes that come after the word, for instance, blood+y. Derivational morphemes/ derivational affixes --- A process of forming new words by the addition of a word element. Such as prefix, suffix, combing form to an already existing word.

Prefixation ---- is the formation of new words by adding prefix or combing form to the base. (It modify the lexical meaning of the base)

Suffixation--- is the formation of a new word by adding a suffix or combing form to the base and usually changing the word-class of the base. Such as boy. Boyish (noun- adjective)

11. Roo t --- A root is the basic form of a word which cannot be further analysed without total loss of identity.

12.Opaque Words--Words that are formed by one content morpheme only and cannot be analysed into parts are called opaque words, such as axe, glove.

13. Transparent Words--Words that consist of more than one morphemes and can be segmented into parts are called transparent words: workable(work+able), door-man(door+man).