Download LECTURE 12 Word formation processes Nowadays, the terms `word

LECTURE 12
Word formation processes
Nowadays, the terms ‘word formation’ does not have a clear cut,
universally accepted usage. It is sometimes referred to all
processes connected with changing the form of the word by, for
example, affixation, which is a matter of morphology. In its wider
sense word formation denotes the processes of creation of new
lexical units. Although it seems that the difference between
morphological change of a word and creation of a new term are
quite easy to perceive there is sometimes a dispute as to whether
blending is still a morphological change or making a new word.
There are, of course, numerous word formation processes that
do not arouse any controversies and are very similar in the
majority of languages.
COMPOUNDING
Compounding is a process in which two different words are joined
together to denote one thing. For example flower-pot is a
compound made of two words: flower and pot, but it does not
denote two things, it refers to one object. Some English
compounds include: windmill, waterfall, fingerprint, and scarecrow.
Compounds are pronounced as one unit, but sometimes difficulties
in writing arise: some compounds are written with hyphens: fulltime, good-looking; some are written separately: bank account,
mini skirt; and some can be written in both ways.
DERIVATION
Derivation is probably the most common word formation
process in the English language. It is achieved by adding affixes:
prefixes – are added at the beginning of a word, suffixes added to
the end of a word, or infixes which are inserted inside a word, but
infixes are unusual in English. English prefixes include for
example re-, un-, mis-, pre-, dis-; suffixes include for instance ful, -less, -able, -or. In other words, derivation means the forming
of new words by combining derivational affixes or bound bases
with existing words, as in disadvice, emplane, reask, and
counsellorship.