Minor types of word-formation in the English language

When a word first comes into existence it is built out according to the existing patterns of the elements available in the language. Word-formation is that branch of lexicology that studies the derivative structure of existing words and the patterns on which a language builds new words. WF – is the system of derivative types of words and the process of creating new words after certain structural and semantic formulas and patterns (Ginzburg); WF – the process of forming words by combining root and affixal morphemes according to certain patterns specific for the language. (Medvedeva).

Shortening / clipping (- significant subtraction (уменьшение), in which part of the original word or word group is taken away. Also the reduction of a word to one of its parts (whether or not this part has previously been a morpheme), as a result of which the new form acquires some linguistic value of its own. Ex. demo from demonstration fridge from refrigerator

Causes of shortening: the strain of modern life; the demands of rhythm; loan word assimilation; Need for stylistic/emotional coloring

Characteristics of the new word: No phonetic changes, but may be spelling changes dub (double), mike (microphone); Give rise to new words ex. vacuum cleaner → a vac → to vac Belongs to the same part of speech as the prototype; Usually follows the syllabic principle of word division, plane from aeroplane exeptions: prep (school sl.) 'homework' from preparation; Have pronounced stylistic colouring as long as their connection with the prototype is alive, so that they remain synonyms ex. hanky from handkerchief; ma from mama; nightie from nightdress (nursery slang)

Most shortened words are nouns; Verbs are rarely shortened, but for to rev from to revolve and to tab from to tabulate BUT! to phone, to taxi, to vac, to vet are not curtailed, but converted words; Shortened adjectives are very few and mostly reveal a combined effect of shortening and suffixation ex. comfy (comfortable), dilly (delightful), imposs (impossible), mizzy (miserable)

Types of shortening: According to the clipped part: 1) final clipping (or apocope)

ad, advert (advertisement); coke (coca-cola); ed (editor); fab (fabulous) 2) initial clipping (or aphesis) creates separate lexical units with a meaning very different from that of the prototype ex. cute a story (history); Final and initial clipping may be combined (only the middle part remains). flu (influenza); fridge (refrigerator); tec (detective) 3) medial clipping (or syncope) ex. maths (mathematics), specs (spectacle)

Ellipsis -is the omission of a word or words considered essential for grammatical completeness but not for the conveyance of the intended lexical meaning (shortening of phrases chiefly set expressions). Ex. daily (daily newspaper), finals (final examinations), pop (popular music)

Blending / telescoping - Blends (fusions, portmanteau words) are words that combine two words and include the letters or sounds they have in common as a connecting element. They have the first constituent represented by a stem whose final part may be missing, and the second constituent - by a stem of which the initial part is missing. Ex. Brunch, slimnastic.

Types of blends: Additive blends transformable into a phrase consisting of the respective complete stems combined by the conjunction and: smoke+fog=smog. French+English=Frenglish. Restrictive blends transformable into an attributive phrase where the first element serves as modifier of the second ex. medicare ← medical care; positron ← positive electron; telecast ← television broadcast;motel ← motorists' hotel

Abbreviation and acronymy -words formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts of a phrasal term

Acronym is a written form which reads as an ordinary English word ex. UNO ['junou] — United Nations Organization; NATO — the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Initial abbreviation with the alphabetical reading, i.e. pronounced as a series of letters. Ex.

BBC — the British Broadcasting Corporation, M P- Member of Parliament

Shortened form of a written word or phrase used in a text in place of the whole for economy of space and effort. In oral speech the unabbreviated words are pronounced ex. bldg for building, govt for government, ltd for limited, some with alteration oz (ounce); Xmas (Christmas) doubling of initial letters shows plural forms pp/p.p. (pages)

Latin abbreviations which sometimes are not read as Latin words but substituted by their English equivalents. Ex. a.m. (Lat ante meridiem) — in the morning; e.g. (Lat exempli gratia) - for example; i.e. (Lat id est) - that is;

abbreviations for famous persons' names and surnames ex. George Bernard Shaw (G.B.S).

Herbert George Wells as H.G

the first element is a letter and the second a complete word. Ex. A-bomb (atomic bomb), V-sign

popular (or jocular) etymology ex. Okay, OK may be an illiterate misinterpretation of the initials in all correct

Sound interchange -anopposition in which words or word forms are differentiated due to an alternation in the phonemic composition of the root. (root vowel or consonant change)

Distinctive stress -In English homographic, mostly disyllabic nouns and verbs of Romanic origin follow one pattern: ′ conduct (“ behaviour”) to con′duct (“ to lead or guide (in a formal way)” v – second syllable stressed, n and adj. – first

Sound imitation (onomatopoeia or echoism) -is the naming of an action or thing by a more or less exact reproduction of a sound associated with it. Ex. babble, blob, bubble, flush, gurgle, gush, splash. These words don’t reflect the real sounds directly, because the same sounds are represented differently in different languages. They are very expressive and sometimes it is difficult to tell a noun from an interjection. Mostly they name sounds or movements in verb category, but verbs easily turn into nouns: bang, boom, bump, hum.

Semantically: sounds produced by human beings in the process of communication or in expressing their feelings: babble, chatter, giggle, grunt, grumble, murmur, mutter, titter, whine, whisper; sounds produced by animals, birds and insects: buzz, crow, howl, moo, mew, neigh, the sound of water bubble or splash; the noise of metallic things: clink, tinkle; noise of forceful motion: clash, crash, whack, whip, whisk

Back-formation - the derivation of new words by subtracting a real or supposed affix from existing words through misinterpretation of their structure has only diachronic relevance beggar → to beg, typewriter → to typewrite The most productive type of back-formation in present-day English is derivation of verbs from compounds that have either - er or -ing as their last element.

Reduplication: N+N Culture-vulture, A+A Teeny-weeny, A+N Fat-cat (богатый человек), V+V Win-win (взамиовыгодный), Ving+Ving Rooting-tooting (восхитительный).

Nominolization: A sit-down dinner party, the 20000-dollar-a-year-job, don’t give-me-a-damn attitude

Поиск по сайту: