2 Principal types of word-formation

word-derivation word-composition

affixation conversion

Affixation is the formation of a new word with the help of affixes.

heart – heartless, to do – to overdo

Conversion is the formation of a new word by brining a stem of this word into a different formal paradigm.

to fall – a fall; to slave – a slave

The basic form of original and the basic form of the derived words in case of conversation are homonymous.

Word-composition is the formation of a new word by combining 2 or more stems which occur in the language as free forms.

door-handle; house-keeper

Some minor types of modern word-formation:

1. Shortening;

2. Blending;

3. Acronymy;

4. Sound interchange;

5. Sound imitation;

6. Distinctive stress;

7. Back-formation.

Shortening is the formation of a word by cutting a part of the word. According to the part of the word that is cut off (initial, middle or final):

1) initial (aphesis)

telephone – phone; defend – to fend

2) medial (syncope)

spectacles – specs; fantasy – fancy

3) final (apocope)

advertisement – advert, ad; influenza – flu; refrigerator – fridge.

Blending is the formation of a new word by combining parts of 2 words. 2 types:

1) additive type that maybe transformed into a phrase consisting of complete stems combined by the conjunction “and”.

sm(oke) and (f)og – smog

2) restrictive type that can be transformed into a phrase, the 1^st element of which serves as a modifier for the second.

television broadcast – telecast

Acronymy (=graphical abbreviation) is the formation of a word from the initial letters of a word combination. 2 types:

1) acronyms which are read as ordinary English words;

UNESCO – the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

2) acronyms with the alphabetic reading.

BBC – the British Broadcast Corporation

Sound-interchange is the formation of the word due to an alteration in the phonemic composition of its root. 2 groups:

1) Vowel - interchange (ablaut)

food – to feed

!!! In some cases vowel – interchange is combined with suffixation:

strong – strength

2) Consonant – interchange

advice – to advise

!!! Consonant – interchange and vowel-interchange may be combined together:

life – to live

Sound imitation (onomatopoeia) is the naming of an action or a thing by a more or less exact reproduction of the sound associated with it.

cock-a-doodle-do – ку-ка-ре-ку

According to the source sound:

1) words denoting sounds produced by human being in the process of communication or expressive their feelings;

chatter; babble

2) words denoting sounds produced by animals, birds, insects;

moo; croak; buzz

3) words imitating the sound of water, the noise of metallic things, a forceful motion, movements.

splash; clink, whip; swing.

Back – formation is the formation of a new word by subtracting a real supposed suffix from the existing words. The process is based on analogy.

butler - er = to butle (to act or serve as a butler).

Distinctive stress is the formation of a word by means of the shift of the stress in the source word.

‘increase (n) – to in’crease; ‘absent (adj.) – to ab’sent.