词汇学论文构词法

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 Word :

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.

1.2

Two 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

)

,

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

1.2.2

Bound 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

2

(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)

2

Compounding

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.

Very

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 .

2.1

Compound 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

2.2

Compound Adjectives

3