a quick introduction to Word Formation

Unit 2: fashion victims

Types of Word Formation: different ways of creating new words

1. Compounding

2. Prefixation3. Suffixation4. Conversion5. Clipping6. Blends7. Backformation8. Acronyms9. Onomatopoeia10. Eponyms11. Toponyms

We will center on these 2 ways!

1. Compounding

Definition: Two or more words joined together to form a new word.

Examples: Home + work homework Pick + pocket pickpocket

The meaning of a compound is not always the sum of the meanings of its parts.

Types of compounds: Compound nouns Compound verbs Compound adjectives

Compound Nouns Compound Nouns

1.Boyfriend

2.Breakfast

3.Sunshine, birth control

4.Software, fast food

5.Overboard

6.Drop-out, plug-in

1. Noun + Noun

2. Verb + Noun

3. Noun + Verb

4. Adjective + Noun

5. Particle + Noun

6. Verb + Particle

Compound Verbs Compound Verbs

1.Carbon-copy, sky-dive

2.Fine-tune

3.Overwork

4.Bad-mouth

1. Noun + Verb

2. Adjective + Verb

3. Particle + Verb

4. Adjective + Noun

Compound Adjectives Compound Adjectives

1.Capital-intensive

2.Deaf-mute

3.Coffee-table

4.Roll-neck

5.White-collar

6.Before-tax

7.Go-go

1. Noun + Adjective

2. Adjective + Adjective

3. Noun + Noun

4. Verb + Noun

5. Adjective + Noun

6. Particle + Noun

7. Verb-verb

2. Prefixation

Class-changing prefixes: a- asleep Verb to

Adjective be- bewitch Noun to Verb en- enslave Noun to Verb

Class-maintaining prefixes: in- indefinite Adj to Adj fore- foreground Noun to N Etc.

3. Suffixation Suffixes forming Nouns

N from N: -dom kingdom N from V: -ee employee N from Adj: -ce dependence

Suffixes forming Verbs V from N: -ify beautify V from Adj: -en shorten

Suffixes forming adjectives Adj from N: -al educational Adj from V: -able understandable Adj from Adj: -ish greenish

Suffixes forming Adverbs: -ly, -ward, and –wise.

4. Conversion

Definition: Assigning an already existing word to a new syntactic category.

Types of Conversion Verb to Noun: to hit a hit Adj to N: a final game a final N to V: a sign to sign Adj to V: an empty box to empty

5. Clipping

Definition: Shortening a polysyllabic word by deleting one or more syllables

Examples: Gasoline Gas Hamburger Burger

delicatessen microphone

deli

mike

6. Blends

Definition: Similar to compounds, but parts of the words are deleted.

Examples:

Motor + hotel Motel Breakfast + lunch Brunch Wireless + Fidelity Sheep + goat

Wi-fi Shoat

7. Back-formations

Definition: Creative reduction due to incorrect morphological analysis.

Examples: editor (1649)

edit (1791) television (1907)

televise (1927) Paramedical (1921)

paramedic (1967)

8. Acronyms

Definition: Words derived from the initial letters of several words and use them as a new word

Examples: Very Important People/Person

VIP Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus

SCUBA

9. Onomatopoeia

Definition: Words created to sound like the thing that they name.

English Japanese Tagalog Catalan

Cock-a-doo Kokekokko Kuk-kakauk QuiQuiriiQui !

Meow Nya Niyaw Miaauu !

10. Eponyms

Definition: a person after whom a discovery, invention, place, etc., is named.

Examples: degrees Celsius (Anders Celcius) Cook Islands (James Cook)

11. Toponyms

Definition: a place name, especially one derived from a topographical feature.

Examples: States in the USA:

Montana (‘mountains’ in Spanish)

Mississippi (‘big river’ in Chippewa)

Do you want to practise?

Exercises: click here