Chapter 4 Word Formation Why we should learn the Englishword-formation? Experts make use of affixation,compounding
A proper understanding of the word-formation language needs classification of such processes on formagrounds.Bauer (1983) classifies the word-formationinEnglish asfollows: Experts make use of affixation,compounding and conversion extensively for the formation of words. 1.affixation(30%-40%)2. Compounding(28%-30%) 3. Conversion(26%) 4. Clipping5. Acronymy %-10% 6. blending(1%-5%)7.blackformation Words formed in this way are derivatives.
1Affixation Affixation is the process of forming words by adding derivational affixes to stems.It is also called derivation. Words formed in this way are derivatives. 2Compounding is a process of word formation by which two or more stems are put together to make one word. The word formed in this way is called a compound . hide+ and+seekhide-and-seek forget+ me+notforget-me-not Jack+ in+ the + boxjack-in-the-box Please hand in your exercise books after class. Clean(adj.) clean(v.)
3Conversion is the formation of new words by converting words of one part of speech to the words of another part of speech, without changes in morphological structures. Words created are new only in a grammatical sense. Taste(v.) taste(n.) It tastes good. It has a good taste. Hand(n.) hand(v.) Lets go hand in hand. Please hand in your exercise books after class. Clean(adj.) clean(v.) Her room is clean and tidy. She cleans her room everyday. 4Clipping is to shorten a long word by cutting a part off the original and use what has remained as a word. Front clipping: "phone" from telephone Back clipping: "ad" from advertisement Front and back clipping: flu from influenza Phrase clipping: pub from public house 5.Blending is the formation of new words by combining parts of two words or a word plus a part of another word. botel:boat + hotel lunarnaut: lunar + astronaut Eurasian: Europe + Asian sitcom: situation + comedy 6Acronymy is the process of forming new words by joining the initial letters of phrases.
Initialisms are words pronounced letter by letter: VOA from Voice of America Acronyms are words formed from initial letters but pronounced as a normal word:NASA from National Aeronautics and Space Administration 7Backformation is the opposite process of suffixation. It is the process of making a new word by dropping the supposed suffix: "burgle" from burglar.