Types of Forming Words. Derivation. Affixation

Origin of Derivational Affixes

Noun-forming affixes	Examples
-er -ness -ing -dom -hood -ship -th -let	Driver, painter. Ugliness, coldness. Singing, playing. Freedom, kingdom. Brotherhood, manhood. Leadership, friendship. Breath, length. Booklet, islet.

Adjective-forming affixes:

-ful -less -y -ish -ly -en -some -like

Joyful Harmless Cozy Childish Lovely Golden Handsome Ladylike

Verb-forming affixes	-en	Widen
Adverb-forming affixes	-ly -wise	Rarely Clockwise
Prefixes	be- mis- un- over-	Befriend Misuse Unselfish Overdo

Borrowed Affixes have come to the English language from different foreign languages. The affixes of foreign origin are classified according to their source into:

Latin	Examples
-able/ -ible -ant/-ent extra- pre- ultra-	Capable, divisible. Servant, student. Extralinguistic. Pre-election. Ultra-high.

Greek	Examples
-ist -ism -ite anti- sym-/ sin-	Artist Marxism Vulcanite Anti-democratic Synthesis

French	Examples
-age -ance/ -ence -ard -ate -ee -ess en-/ em-	Percentage Extravagance, coherence Wizard Electorate Employee Princess Enclose, embed

Hybrids

• are words that are made up of elements from two or more different languages. There are 2 basic types of forming hybrid words:

1) a foreign base is combined with a native affix, e.g. colourless, uncertain;

2) a native base is combined with a foreign affix, e.g. drinkable, ex-wife.

There are also many hybrid compounds, such as blackguard (English + French); schoolboy (greek + English).

VALENCY OF AFFIXES AND BASES

Valency of affixes is understood as their capability to be combined with certain bases, e.g. adjective forming suffixes are mostly attached to nominal bases. They are:

• -en (golden),
• -ful (meaningful),
• -less (careless),
• -ly (soldierly),
• -like (childlike).

The highly productive suffix –able, however, can be combined with nominal and verbal bases alike (honorable, advisable).

Valency of bases

• is the possibility of a particular base to take a particular affix. The valency of bases is not unlimited, e.g., noun bases can be followed by:
• the noun-forming suffixes, e.g. –eer (profiteer), -ful (spoonful), -ics (linguistics), -let (cloudlet);
• the adjective-forming suffixes, e.g. –al (doctoral), -ary (revolutionary), -ous (spacious), -ic (historic);
• the verb-forming suffixes, e.g. –en (hearten), -ize (sympathize).

Valency

• is very important semantically because the meaning of the derivative depends not only on the morphemes of which it is composed but also on combinations of bases and affixes that can be contrasted with it.
• Contrast is observed in the use of the same morphemes in different environment or in the use of different morphemes in the same environment, e.g., the difference in the suffixes –ity and –ism becomes clear when comparing them as combined with identical bases:
• formality – formalism; reality – realism.

-ity – ‘the quality of being what corresponding adjective describes, an instant or quality’;

-ism –’ a disposition to what the adjective describes, or a corresponding type of ideology’.

Summary and Conclusions

• Word-formation is the process of creating words from the material available in the language after certain structural and semantic formulas and patterns.

As a subject of study English word-formation is that branch of English Lexicology which studies the derivative structure of words and the patterns on which the English language builds new words. Like any other linguistic phenomenon, word-formation may be studied synchronically and diachronically.

• As a subject of study English word-formation is that branch of English Lexicology which studies the derivative structure of words and the patterns on which the English language builds new words. Like any other linguistic phenomenon, word-formation may be studied synchronically and diachronically.

There are two types of word-formation in Modern English: word-derivation which is divided into affixation and conversion and word-composition. Within the types further distinction is made between the various ways and means of word-formation.

• There are two types of word-formation in Modern English: word-derivation which is divided into affixation and conversion and word-composition. Within the types further distinction is made between the various ways and means of word-formation.