构词法

The Word Formation Processes
The 3 major processes: compounding, derivation, conversion
一、Compounding
It is a word formation process in which two or more bases are put together to form a new word.
Exam: Classmate, blackboard, classroom
The three features of a compound
1) Orthographic拼字法
a. solid: blackboard, housewife
b. hyphenated: middle-aged
c. open: hire purchase
2) Phonological 音系学
Usually, the compound has a stress on the first syllable or a first stress on the first syllable and a second stress on the second syllable.
3) Semantic语义
The meaning of a compound can be derived from the meanings of the compounding elements.
Example： bookstore = book + store
Classification of Compounds
1.Noun compounds
Noun compounds are classified according to the syntactic relationship of the compounding parts
2.Verb compounds
Verb compounds are classified according to their formation processes
3.Adjective compounds
二、Derivation
It is a word formation process by which new words are created by adding an affix.
1.Prefixation前缀化: a new word is formed by adding a prefix to a base. Prefixes can be classified into the following kinds according to their meanings
? Negative---Nonsmoker, nonsense, nonexistent
? Reversative---Decentralize, deregulate, Disconnect, dishearten
? Pejorative--- Maltreat, Pseudonym,
? Degree or size--- Superabundant, outman
? Attitude--- cooperate, anti-Japan,
? Locative--- Intercontinental, Superstructure
? Time & order--- Postmodernism
? number
2.Suffixation后缀: a new word is formed by adding a suffix to a base. is a word formation process by which a word is formed by adding a suffix to a base and usually changing the word class
1) Noun suffixes
A. Suffixes that express meaning of “ a person who performs or causes
-ant/entServant, assistant,
-ee, Addressee, absentee
-er/orPainter, runner
-ess hostess, lioness,
-ian comedian,
-ist communist,
-aholic shopaholic
B. Suffixes used to indicate activity, process, state or quality by adding them to some verbs, some adjectives or some nouns
-ablity/ibility sensibility
-age Shrinkage
-ance/ence admittance
-craft hovercraft
2) Verb suffixes
-en heighten, dampen,
-ify notify, qualify, simplify
-ize Standardize, applogise,
3) Adjective suffixes
-able/ible Reliable, dependable
-ary, Revolutionary
-ic, Historic, poetic,
4) Adverb suffixes
-ly properly, repeatedly
-ward Afterward, backward,
-wise Clockwise, lengthwise,
三、Conversion
Definition:
Conversion is a word formation process in which a word of a certain word-class is shifted into a word of another word class without the addition of an affix.
Examples:
book---book v attack—attack v
Types of conversion
1) Noun--verb
2) Verb--noun
3) Adjective--verb
4) Adjective—noun

The 8 minor processes: acronymy首字母缩略, blending混成, clipping,
words from proper names, back formation, reduplication, neo-class

ical formation, miscellaneous
一 、1. Acronymy is the process of forming new words by joining the first letters of names of social and political organizations or special noun phrases and technical terms and is pronounced as a word UNESCO, OPEC, TOEFL, NATO
2. initialism The letters represent full words
is pronounced letter by letter UN,WHO,WTO or The letters represent part of a word or elements in a compound.GHQ---General Headquarters, TV, TB---tuberculosis, ID---identification
. Some characteristics of initialisms and acronyms
? replace long and complicated words or phrases
? save time and space in radio and newspaper.
? Most of them are still informal

二、Clipping It involves the deletion of one or more syllables from a word, which is also available in its full form
A back clippings. The deletion occurs at the end of the word.
Photo, memo, dorm, kilo, telly, lib, exam, gents (gentleman’s), lab, vet(veteran), auto, ad.
B front clippings. The deletion occurs at the beginning of the word.
Bus, phone, chute, quake, copter, dozer
C. front and back clippings: The deletion occurs at both ends of a word.
Flu---influenza, fridge---refrigerator, tec---detective
D. middle clippings: the deletion occurs at the middle of the word.
Mr---mister, ft---foot, Dr---doctor, yr---year, Lt.---lieutenant, Ltd---limited
E.phrase clippings:
perm---permanent wave, narc/nark---narcotics agent, pop---popular music, pub---public house
Characteristics of clippings
1) Changes in sound and spelling-- biz---business, bike---bicycle
2). Few of the clipped words like taxi, plane. bus and pram are now fully accepted in the standard language, but some others are still considered informal .
三、Blending
Blending is a word formation process by which a new word is formed from two words, one of which is not in its full form or both of which are not in their full forms,
A. The first part of the first word + the last part of the second one. lidar---light+radar, fruice---fruit+juice
B. First part of the first word+first part of the second word. Memocon---memorandum+conversation,
C. Whole form of the first word + last part of the second
onAirtel--air+hotel, faction--fact+fiction,
D. First part of the first word+whole form of the second word Atobomb---atom+bomb, Medicaid---medical+aid,

四. Back-formation
A short word is coined by the deletion of a supposed affix from a longer form already present in the language.
Eg：Burglar---burgle, beggar---beg, sculptor---sculpt, typewriter---typewrite, bulldozer---bulldoze, Emotion---emote, procession---process, donation---donate, negotiation---negotiate,destruction---destruct, television---televise, match-maker---match-make, baby-sitter---baby-sit, book-keeper—book-keep
The majority of the back-formed words are verbs from nouns, because in the derivational process, a lot of nouns are formed from verbs, therefore, it is usually supposed that the process can be reversed, that is, we

can get a verb by deleting an affix from a noun. Usually, back-formed verbs are from nouns ending either in –tion/-sion or –er/-or
五. words from proper names
A. name of scientists
watt ( an English man), volt( a Italian), ohm( a German), ampere( a French man), curie
B. names of places
waterloo, china, champagne, rugby, water-gate
C. words from trademarks
Xerox, Vaseline ( a soft substance used on the skin for various medical and other purposes), Kodak
D. names of politicians and statesmen
nicotine ( a harmful element in tobacco, named after Jean Nicot, a French diplomat who introduced tobacco to France in the sixteenth century.
John Hancock ( signature, named after an American revolutionary leader who was the first person to sign his name on the Declaration of Independence.)
Quisling ( a person who helps the enemy who are invading his own country. It is named after a Norwegian officer who helped the Germans invaded his own country in the Second World War.
McCarthyism (a policy of hunting out communists or suspected communists and removing them from the government departments, named after the American senator J.R. McCarthy.
E. words from literature
Shylock , from Shakespeare
odyssey , a long and adventurous journey from Homer’s epic The
Odyssey
Godfather , a novel’s name
Utopia
六. Reduplication
a compound word is created by the repetition of one or two words with a change in their vowel or consonant.
A. repetition of words
quack-quack, tick-tick, puff-puff, go-go, yo-yo, dumb-dumb, no-no
B. the repetition of words with a vowel change
Ping-pong, ding-dang, dilly-dally ( take a long time to do sth or walk somewhere.), wishy-washy ( feeble, sloppy), shilly-shally ( hesitate), fiddle-faddle ( trifling matters)
C. the repetition of word with a change in the consonant
Willy-nilly ( willingly or unwillingly), hocus-pocus ( play tricks), hurry-skurry(proceed in disorderly haste)
Functions of reduplications
Imitate sound
Suggest alternating movements
Show one’s contempt of someone else, eg, clever-clever
七. Neoclassical formation
Neoclassical formation denotes the process by which new words are formed from elements derived from Latin or Greek.
The majority of neoclassical formations are scientific and technical
Eg：Astrochemistry天体化学, centisencond (one hundredth of one second)
八. miscellaneous
Genuine coinage is rare
Quark, invented by an American scientist to refer to an imaginary particle bearing a charge of electricity.
Vroom, any of the sound made by a motor vehicle in accelerating.
Analogy: imitation of the structure of other words
earthquake---youthquake handbag---airbag nightmare---daymaure future shock--- culture shock overpopulation---underpopulation

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