词汇学考试题及答案

the definition of the lexicology.

2. give the definition of the word

3. what are the main three types of word formation and the main features of the three

types?

4. what are they characteristics of the English idioms?

5. what do you think of the course: English lexicology.

第一题

Lexicology is a branch of linguistics inquiring into the origins and meanings of words.

(WNWD)

English lexicology is a subbranch of linguistics. But it embraces other academic

disciplines, such as morphology, semantics, etymology, stylistics, lexicography.

Morphology: the branch of grammar, studies the structure or form of words, primarily

through the use of morpheme construct.

Etymology: traditionally used for the study of the origins and history of the form and

meaning of words.

Semantics:

the

study

of

meanings

of

different

linguistics

levels:

lexis,

syntax,

utterance, discourse, etc.

Stylistics: the study of style, concerned with the user’s choices of linguistic

elements

in a particular context for special effects.

Lexicography: record the language as it is used so as to present the genuine picture of

words to the reader, providing authoritative reference. (Edit a dictionary).

第二题

The definition of a word comprises the following points:

(1) a minimal free form of a language;

(2) a sound unity;

(3) a unit of meaning;

(4) a form that can function alone in a sentence.

A word

is

a

minimal

free

form

of

a

language

that

has

a

given

sound

and

meaning

and

syntactic function.

第三题

The most productive word formations are affixations, compounding and conversion.

The

rest

of

new

words

come

from

shortening

including

clipping

and

acronymy,

together with words born out of blending and other means. While applying the rules,

we should remember that there are always exceptions.

1. Affixation

Affixation is generally defined as the formation of words by adding word-forming or

derivational

affixes

to

stems.

This

process

is

also

known

as

derivation,

the

words

formed in this way are called derivations.

1.1

Prefixation.

It

is

the

formation

of

new

words

by

adding

prefixes

to

stems.

The

majority of prefixes are characterized by their non-class-changing nature.

Negative prefixes: a-, dis-, in- (il-, ir-, im-), non-, un-.

Reversative prefixes: de-, dis-, un-.

Pejorative prefixes: mal-, mis-, pseudo-.

Prefixes of degree or size: arch-, extra-, hyper-, macro-, micro-,mini-, out-, over-, sub-,

super-, sur-, ultra-, under-.

Prefixes of orientation and attitude: anti-, contra-, counter-, pro-.

Locative prefixes: extra-, fore-, inter-, intra-, tele-, trans-.

Prefixes of time and order: ex-, fore-, post-, pre-, re-.

Number prefixes: bi-, multi- (poly-), semi- (hemi-), tri-, uni- (mono-).

Miscellaneous prefixes: auto-, neo-, pan-, vice-.

1.2 Suffixation

It is the formation of new words by adding suffixes to stems. They mainly change the

word class.

Noun suffixes:

a. Denominal nouns: Concrete: -eer, -er, -ess, -ette, - let; Abstract: -age, -dom, -ery,

-ery (-ry), -hood, -ing, -sim, -ship.

b. Deverbal nouns:

To create nouns denoting people: -ant, -ee, -ent, -er (-or).

To produce abstract nouns, denoting action, result, process, state, etc.: -age, -al, -ance,

-ation (-ition, -tion, -sion, -ion), -ence, -ing, -ment.

c. De-adjective nouns: -ity, -ness.

d. Noun and adjective suffixes: can be used both as nouns and adjectives:

-ese, -an,

-ist.

Adjective suffixes:

a. Denominal suffixes: -ed, -ful, -ish, -less, -like, -ly, -y; -al (-ial, -ical), -esque, -ic,

-ous (-eous, -ious).

(Both

–

ic

and

–

ical

can

be

affixed

to

the

same

stem

in

some

cases,

but

differ

in

meaning.)

b. Deverbal suffixes:

–

able (-ible), -ive (-ative, -sive).

Adverb suffixes: -ly, -ward(s), -wise.

Verb suffixes: -ate, -en, - (i)fy, -ize (-ise).

Some seemingly productive vogue affixes like

–

nik are still considered slang.

2. Compounding

It

is

the

formation

of

new

words

by

joining

two

or

more

stems,

also

called

composition. Words formed in this way are called compounds.

A compound is a ‘lexicology unit consisting of more than one stem and functioning

both

grammatically

and

semantically

as

a

single

word’.

They

can

be

written

solid,

hyphenated and open.

2.1 Characteristics of Compounds

Open compounds are the same in form as free phrases. The difference:

Phonetic features: In compounds the word stress usually occurs on the first element.

Semantic features: Every compound should express a single idea just as one word.

Grammatical

features:

A

compound

tends

to

play

a

single

grammatical

role

in

a

sentence.

2.2 Formation of Compounds

The three major classes of compounds: