-
Word-formation
Word-
formation
or
word-building
is
that
branch
of
lexicology
which
studies
the
patterns
on
which
a language, in this case, the English language,
coins new words.
Percentage
of new words coined by the different word-
formation processes after World War The
three major processes of word
formation:
Composition or Compounding
Definition
:
Compounding is
a word-
formation process consisting of joining two
or
more
bases
to
form
a
new
unit,
a
compound
word.
Compounding
is
the
most
productive word-formation process in
contemporary English
.
Identity crisis
个性危机
stand-up collar
竖领
hit-and-run tactics
打了就跑的战术
spoon-feed
填鸭式灌输，
娇养
糊里糊涂
muddle-headed/minded
笨嘴笨舌
heavy-
tongued
无忧无虑
carefree
饱经风霜
weather-beaten/worn
令人心碎
heart-breaking
半死不活
dead-alive/dead-and-
alive
不合时宜
ill-timed/badly-
timed
批量生产
mass-produce
Compounds are very often used because
of their brevity and vividness. For example,
A
schoolboy
is
more concise than
“a boy attending
school
”
;
“
U
p-to-the-minute
information
”
is
more vivid than
“the
latest
information
”
;
“
The
old
man
would
sit
for
hours,
thinking
sadly
of
all
the
might-
have-beens
”
is
more
compact and expressive
than
“…
thinking sadly of
the desirable things that could have
happened
in the
past
.
”
The relative criteria of a compound
word
Orthographic criterion
(
书写标准
)
: Compounds are written in three ways, e.g.
solid:
airmail
;
hyphenated:
air-
conditioning
;
open:
air force, air
raid.
Phonological criterion
(
语音标准
)
:
Compound
accent
: a single stress on the first
element; or a main stress on the first element
and a secondary stress on the second
element. E.g.
'blackboard, 'blue
‘
bottle (a large
buzzing fly
with blue body
)
Normal
phrase
accent
:
a
secondary
stress
on
the
first
element
and
a
main
stress
on
the
second element. E.g.
‘
blue 'bottle
(a
bottle which is blue)
Semantic criterio
n
(
语义标准
)
: A compound is a combination forming a unit
expressing
a
single
idea.
The
lexical
meaning
of
the
components
are
closely
joined
together
to
create
a
compound
with
a
meaning
which
one
can
easily
recognize,
e.g.
backdoor,
sunset,
workday.
However, the meaning of a compound is
not always the sum of the meanings of its parts,
e.g. dog
days, flatfoot ( a policeman),
greenhouse, greenback (
美钞
)
，
green-
hand(
生手
),
greenroom
（演员
休息室）
,
mother wit
（天生的智力）
, Indian
paper
（字典纸）
.
More
examples:
home letters(
家信
),
home voyage
（
归程）
,
home life
（
家庭生活）
,
home affairs
（家庭事务）
，
home bird
（不爱外出的人）
, home
economics
（家政学）
, home
front
（
大后方）
,
home
games
（在本地举行的比赛）
, home
help
（家务女佣）
,
homemaker
（主妇）
, home
plate
（棒球的本垒打）
, home
sickness
（思家病）
.
Word order
:
A flower pot (
花盆
)
a pot flower (
盆花
)
tiptoe(
脚尖
)
deaf-
mute
（聋哑者）
Some of
them were influenced by
French
:
court
martial(
军事法庭
) president
elect
（当选总统）
;
ambassador
designate
（尚未上任的大使）
Classification of compounds
Compounds can be classified according
to
parts of speech
of the
compounds
.
noun
compounds
: airplane
, flower pot
adjective compounds:
weather-beaten
,
snowwhite
verb compounds:
proof-read, baby-sit
proposition
compounds
: notwithstanding, alongside
of
conjunction compounds
:
whenever
,whereas
pronoun
compounds:
another
, myself
The
three
commonest
types
are
noun
compounds,
adjective
compounds,
and
verb compounds.
noun
compounds
?
Noun + noun
rainwater
雨水
;
springwater
泉水
;
houseplants
室内植物
;fireball
火球
;
firecracker
鞭
炮
;
spacecraft/spaceship
太空船；
spacesuits
太空服；
mousemat
；
鼠标垫
Dream
Team
；
bar code
条形码；
lip service
口头上说得好听的话；
information highway
信息高速公路；
science fiction
科幻小说；
sugar cane
甘蔗；
gaslight
煤气灯；
?
Noun +
verb
daybreak
拂
晓
；
nightfall
夜
幕
降
临
；
sunset/s
unrise
日
落
，
earthquake
地
震
；
landslip/landslide
(
山
体
滑
坡
)
；
headache
toothache
；
stomachache
；
heartbeat
drumbeat
；
footbeat
脚步节拍
；
wingbeat
翅翼振动
；
window-dress
布置橱窗；
water-
supply
自来水
；
snowfall
降雪量；
toothpick
牙签；
haircut
；
pickpocket
；
scarecrow
稻草人
( scare the crow)
?
V
erb
+ noun
cry baby (
爱哭的婴儿
)
；
playboy
(
花花公子
)
；
glowworm
(
发光虫
)
；
watch-dog
(
看家
狗
),
swearword
（骂人话）
,
breakwater
（防波提）
,
driveway
（车道）
, jump suit
（伞兵跳伞服，
连衣裤工作服）
；
rattle
snake(
响尾蛇
)
?
V
erb
+ adv / prep
changeover
(
转变进程
)
；
setback
(
挫折
)
；
breakdown
(
崩溃
)
，
show-off(
炫耀
),
slip-up
（疏忽，
不幸事故）
,
put-off
（
推迟，
搪塞）
, follow-
up
（连续广告法）
sit-in, dropout,
breakdown,
walk-on, walkout, setback,
take-off
?
Adjective + noun
clear-way(
超速道路
),
easy-chair, deadline, hard disk, soft
disk
，
red
tape(
官样文章
)
?
adverb +
noun
under-
clothes(
内衣
), after-
effect
（后效，副作用）
,
upgrade
（升级）
,
overburden
?
V+ing
+
noun
chewing
gum(
口香糖
),
baking
powder
（发酵粉）
, reading
lamp
（台灯）
, lodging house
（分
间出租供人休息用的房屋）
，
leading article(
社论
),
working party
（作业队）
?
Adverb +
verb
outlet(
出口
),
upset
（颠覆）
,
downfall
（垮台，陷落）
,
upstart
（暴发户）
,
onflow
（滚滚向
前）
adjective compounds
?
Pre-modifier
VS.
Post-modifier
(
describe
a
noun
phrase
or
restrict
its
meaning
in
some
way)
?
Compound
modifiers, because of their expressiveness and
brevity, are used quite flexibly
in
current English, especially in journalistic
writings.
?
noun
+ adjective
?
skin-hungry, power-hungry, news-hungry,
career-hungry (
急于成名的
) ,
bloodthirsty
?
duty-free, tax-free, fat-free, toll-
free, maintenance-free, dust-free, interest-free,
care-free,
ice-free, danger-free,
nuclear-weapon-free
?
water-proof, fire-proof,
bullet-proof, rain-proof, bomb-proof, vibration-
proof
?
air-sick, seasick, car-sick, home-sick,
heartsick (
沮丧的
)
?
user-friendly,
reader-friendly
?
profit-conscious,time-
conscious,
class-conscious,
environment-conscious,
security-conscious
?
slap-happy(
被
打
得
晕
头
转
向
的
< br>)
boxer
，
trigger-happy
(
嗜<
/p>
杀
成
性
的
)gangster
，
travel-
happy(
对旅游入迷的
)
?
accident-prone,
crisis-prone (
危机四伏的
)
< br>，
error-prone,
?
air-tight(
不透气的
)
，
water
-tight,
light-
tight(
不透光的
), rain-tight
?
work-shy(
不愿工作的
)
，
camera-shy(
怕上镜头的
)
，
publicity-shy
(
不愿出头露面的
)
?
color-blind,
night-blind
?
blood-weary (
厌战的
)
，
travel-
weary(
旅途劳累的
)
?
stone-deaf,
skin-deep,
snow-white,
ice-cold,
knee-deep,
paper-thin,
mirror-bright,
feather-light,
fire-hot,
crystal-clear,
waist-high,
shoulder-high,
life-long,
grass-green,
dog-tired,
threadbare
（穿旧的）
?
college-
bound/preparatory (
准备考大学的
)
，
labor-short (
缺乏劳动力
的
)
，
top-heavy(
头
重脚轻的
)
，
penny-wise(
小事聪明的
)
，
oven-fresh
(
刚出炉的
) line-dry(
一
晾就干的
)
，
world-
famous
?
adjective + adjective
wet-cold,
icy-cold,
red-hot,
white-hot,
bitter-sweet,
deaf-mute,
shabby-genteel(
穷酸的
)
，
dead-alive(
半死不
活的
)
，
dark-blue,
deep-blue,
light-blue,
pale-blue,
bright-red,
bloody-red,
yellow-green,
yellowish-green
，
social-
political
?
V+ing + adjective
steaming-hot/smoking-hot
(
滚烫的，热气腾腾的
)
，
< br>soaking-wet/wringing-wet(
湿淋淋的，
湿得可拧出水来的
)
，
bi
ting-cold/freezing-cold
(
冷得刺骨的，冰冷的
)
?
Adverb/Prep +
adjective
ever-victorious
(
战无不胜的
)
，
over-cautious, all-round (
全面的
)
，
far-reaching (
深远的，
广泛的
)
，
evergreen
(tree), wide-awake (
机警的
)
，
over-sensitive, over-anxious,
under-ripe (
不成
熟的
)
，
too-rapid
?
noun
+V+ing
peace-loving,
time/space/energy/labor-saving, time-consuming,
summer-
flowering(
夏季开花
的
),
ocean-going
(
远
洋
的
)
，
fault-finding,
record-breaking,
heart-
breaking,
hair-raising,
side-splitting (
令人捧腹的
)
，
thirst-quenching (
解渴的
)
，
man-
eating
?
noun + V+ed
heart-felt(
衷心的
),
air-
born
（空降的，
空运的）
,
home-made, travel-
worn
（旅行得疲乏的）
,
hen-pecked, book-filled, poverty-
stricken, weather-beaten, thunder-struck,
suntanned
?
adjective/adverb + V+ing
fresh-frozen(
速
冻
的
),
easy-going(
随
和
的
),
familiar-sounding
(
听
起
来
熟
悉
的
)
，
ha
rd-working, ever-lasting
(
永恒的
)
?
adjective/adverb + V+ed
newly-developed, well-
balanced, far-fetched (
牵强附会的
)
，
half-baked(
烤得半生
不熟的，
肤浅的
), hard-won (
< br>来之不易的
)
，
quick-
frozen (
速冻的
), new-laid
(eggs), so-called, fresh-caught,
newly-
built, well-informed,
well-
organized
?
noun
+ Noun+ed
hot-tempered(
急性子的
)
，
chicken-hearted (
胆怯的，
软弱的
)
，
honey-mouthed, paper-backed
(
平装本的
)
，
eagle-eyed(
目光尖锐地
)
?
adjective/adv. + Noun+ed
short-sighted,
tender-hearted,
sweet-
hearted(
性情温和的
),
green-fingered(
擅长园艺的
< br>)
，
open-handed, single-
handed, bald-headed, empty-headed, hot-headed,
kind-hearted, light-hearted,
whole/half-hearted, absent-minded,
narrow/broad-minded, double-faced, straight-faced,
blue-eyed,
muddle-minded/headed
(
糊里糊涂
)
,
commercially-minded,
heavy-tongued
(
笨嘴
笨舌的
)
，
middle-aged,
cold-blooded,
strong-bodied,
rosy-cheeked,
apple-cheeked,
close/tight-fisted(
吝啬
的
)
，
bare-footed, white-haired, high-heeled,
ill-intentioned, weak-kneed (
易屈服的
)
，
long-legged,
close/tight-lipped
(
< br>嘴
紧
的
),
ill-mannered,
thick/thin-
skinned
(
脸
皮
厚
/
薄
)
< br>，
high-spirited,
iron-
willed,
quick/short/slow/bad-tempered,
glib-tongued
(
油嘴滑
舌的
)
，
loose-
tongued(
嘴不严
的
)
?
adjective +
Noun
long-distance, full-length
（<
/p>
未删节的）
，
white-
collar, red-letter(
喜庆的
),
，
full-time, first-rate,
high-speed, high-level, low-frequency,
left-hand, real-time(
实时的
)
，
long-range, deep-
sea (fish)
?
Verb + Noun
break-neck
(
危险的
)
，
telltale(
搬弄是非的
)
，
cut-rate
(
减价的，次等的
)
?
Phrases or
sentences
at-
risk
（处境危险的）
,
in-your-
face
（明目张胆的）
,
devil-may-
care(
不顾一切的
),
dog-
eat-dog
（
狗
咬
狗
的
）
,
round-the-clock,
on-the-
spot,
cards-on-the-table,
matter-of-fact,
never-to-be-
forgotten, once-in-a-life-time, off-the-cuff
(
临时想起的意见
)opinion, back-up
(
备用
)
a stand-up
collar (
竖领
), a walk-in
closet (
走入式大壁橱
)
，<
/p>
a see-through shirt
（透明的衬衫）
take-home
pay
，
cross-border
raid
，
a keep-fit
class
（保健班）
verb
compounds
The
common
way
to
form
a
compound
verb
is
by
means
of
back-
formation.
The
back-
formation
is
a
process
of
word
formation
by
which
a
word
is
created
by
dropping
the
supposed or imagined affixes
Housekeeping
→
housekeep,
test-drive(
试
车
)
，
< br>machine-gun,
nickname,
spotlight,
honeymoon,
outline,
speed-read,
soft-land,
vacuum-clean,
mass-produce,
sight-see,
proof-read,
tape-record,
chain-smoke,
ghost-write,
air-condition,
baby-sit,
window-shop,
spoon-feed,
hen-peck,
snowball,
middle-road(
走
中
间
道
路
),
chain-react,
face-harden(
使
表
面
硬
化
),
wire-pull
(
幕
后
操
纵
)
，
daydream,
skyrocket,
sleepwalk,
highlight,
safeguard,
whitewash,
sweet-talk
，
job-hop
A compound verb can
also be formed by means of analogy
-drink: from chain-smoke
-feed: feed from a bottle. from breast-
feed:? feed from a mother's breast
A
compound verb can also be formed by means of verb
phrases
overwork,
withhold(
扣留
), cross-question
(
盘问
)
，
u
pbuild (
建立
), uplift, uproot,
fast-talk(
花言
巧语地企图说服
)
，
off-load(
卸货
)
，
outea
t(
吃得比
……
多
)
，
outgo,
outgrow , ill-treat, overhear,
overtake, undergo, underline,
undermine, undertake,
Affixation or
Derivation
It is a process
of forming new words by the addition of a word
element, such as a prefix, suffix,
or
combining form, to an already existing word.
A combining form is a bound morpheme,
which was originally a full word in Latin or
Greek,
such as
auto
-
（
from GK
autos
self
）
.
据统计下列
14
个词根和
20
个词缀
出现在词典里
10
，
000
多个英语单词中
词
Precept
detain
intermittent
offer
Insist
monograph
epilogue
词
aspect
uncomplicated
nonextended
reproduction
indisposed
前缀
ad
-
(to, toward)
un
- (not);
com
- (together)
non
- (not);
ex
- (out of)
re
- (back, again);
pro
- (forward)
in
- (not);
dis
- (apart from)
词根
spicere
(see)
plicare
(fold)
tendere
(stretch)
ducere
(lead)
ponere
(put,
place)
前缀
pre
- (before)
de-
(away, from)
inter
- (between)
ob
- (against)
in
- (into)
mono
- (alone, one)
epi
(upon)
词根
capere
(take, seize)
tenere
(hold, have)
mittre
(send)
ferre
(bear, carry)
stare
(stand)
graph
(write)
egein
(say, study)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
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