Types of Forming Words. Derivation. Affixation

Affixation is subdivided into suffixation and prefixation.

Affixation is subdivided into suffixation and prefixation.

Distinction is naturally made between prefixal and suffixal derivatives according to the last stage of derivation, which determines the nature of the ICs of the pattern that signals the relationship of the derived word with its motivating source unit, cf.

unjust (un-+just),

justify, (just++ -ify),

arrangement (arrange + -ment),

non-smoker (non- + smoker).

Prefixal-suffixal derivatives:

reappearance, unreasonable, denationalise

This qualification is relevant only in terms of the constituent morphemes such words are made up of, i.e. from the angle of morphemic analysis.

From the point of view of derivational analysis such words are mostly either suffixal or prefixal derivatives, e.g.

sub-atomic = sub- + (atom + + -ic), unreasonable = un- + (reason + -able), denationalise = de- + + (national + -ize), discouragement = (dis- + courage) + -ment.

Suffixation is mostly characteristic of noun and adjective formation.

Suffixation is mostly characteristic of noun and adjective formation.

Prefixation is mostly typical of verb formation.

The distinction also rests on the role different types of meaning play in the semantic structure of the suffix and the prefix.

The part-of-speech meaning has a much greater significance in suffixes as compared to prefixes which possess it in a lesser degree.

A prefix may be confined to one part of speech, e.g. enslave, encage, unbutton or may function in more than one part of speech as, e.g., over- in overkind a, to overfeed v, overestimation n

Suffixes as a rule function in any one part of speech often forming a derived stem of a different part of speech as compared with that of the base, e.g. careless a — cf. care n; suitable a — cf. suit v, etc.