Word-formation Lexicology

Outline of the lecture:
Definition of the word-formation
Affixation
Conversion
Composition
Shortening (clipping, abbreviation, blending)

1. Word-Formation
is the system of derivative types of words and the process of creating new words from the material available in the language after certain structural and semantic formulas and patterns.

2. Affixation
is the productive process of forming a new word by adding a derivational affix to the root stem of a word
(ex., object - objection).
Derivative: (ex., dis+continue)
Compound derivative: (ex., un+selfconscious)

Affixes can be added to the following types of stems:
root-stems (unkind, hopeful)
derived (childishly)
compound (nightmarish)
compound-derived (absentmindedness)
abbreviated (hubby = husband - муженек)
phrase stems (out-of-towner)

semi-affixes
Such affixes of the English voc-ry occurring as independent words (man, berry, like, proof, land) have been very frequently used as second elements of words.
“man”
(ex., gentleman, seaman, fireman)

3. Conversion
is a productive way of coining a new word by changing the paradigm and distribution of the original word without transforming its morphemic shape.

Verbs can have different meanings:
a) verbs have instrumental meaning if they are formed from nouns denoting parts of a human body (e.g. to eye, to finger, to shoulder), from nouns denoting tools, machines, instruments, weapons, (e.g. to hammer, to machine-gun, to nail),
b) verbs can denote an action characteristic of the living being, e.g. to crowd, to wolf,

c) verbs can denote acquisition, addition or deprivation,
e.g. to fish, to dust, to peel, to paper,
d) verbs can denote an action performed at the place,
e.g. to park, to garage, to bottle, to corner, to pocket,
e) verbs can denote an action performed at the time,
e.g. to winter, to week-end.

Converted nouns can denote:
a) instant of an action, e.g. a jump, a move,
b) process or state, e.g. sleep, walk,
c) agent of the action, e.g. a help, a flirt, a scold,
d) object or result of the action, e.g. a burn, a find, a purchase,
e) place of the action, e.g. a drive, a stop, a walk.

4. Composition (compounding)
is the way of word building when a word is formed by joining two or more stems to form one word.
CLASSIFICATIONS OF ENGLISH COMPOUNDS
1. According to the way components are joined together compounds are divided into:
a) neutral, e.g. ball-point, to windowshop,
b) morphological, e.g. («astrospace», «handicraft», «sportsman»),
c) syntactical, e.g. here-and-now, free-for-all., do-or-die.

According to their structure compounds are subdivided into:
a) compound words proper, e.g. to job-hunt, train-sick, go-go, tip-top,
b) derivational compounds, e.g. ear-minded, hydro-skimmer,
c) compound words, e.g. cornflower-blue, eggshell-thin, singer-songwriter,
d) compound-shortened words, e.g. boatel, tourmobile, VJ-day, motocross, intervision, Eurodollar, Camford.

5. Shortening
Clipping
is the reduction of a word to one or several syllables as a result of which the new form acquires some linguistic value of its own.
According to whether it is initial, middle or final part of the word that is cut off we distinguish:
initial clipping or aphaeresis
(phone – telephone, cello from violoncello)
medial clipping or syncope
(maths from mathematics, specs from spectacles)
final clipping or apocope
(ad from advertisement, coke from Coca-cola)
words that have been clipped both at the beginning and at the end (flu from influenza, fridge from refrigerator).

Abbreviation
is the process and the result of forming a word out of the initial elements of a word-combination.
Types:
acronyms (ex., laser - light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation),
initial abbreviation (ex., SOS – save our souls, BBC _ British Broadcast Corporation),
a shortened form of a written word (ex., smth, sb, adj.),
Latin abbreviations (a.m. – lat. Ante Meridiem, до полудня, i.e. – lat. Id est – that is),
initial abbreviation combined with a whole word (ex., A-bomb – atomic bomb).