English Language, Word Formation

English I
WORD FORMATION
Word Formation Processes

- creation of new words.
Affixation - new words from existing ones

by adding affixes to them (agglutination)
Blending - joining parts of two or more
older words (e.g. brunch breakfast
and lunch)
Acronym - a word formed from initial
letters of the words in a phrase (e.g.
radar radio detection and ranging)
Word Formation Processes (2)

Clipping - taking part of an existing word
(e.g. ad from advertisement)
Compounding - stringing together older
words (e.g. earth + quake
earthquake )
Affixation
Prefix + Stem + Suffix
(root)
Prefix usually changes the meaning
Suffix usually changes the word from
one part of speech into another
Prefixes
Characteristics:
Do not alter the word class of the base =
they are class-maintaining (generally)

Normally written together with the base as a
single word
Main stress falls on the base (normally)
Can be grouped according to their meaning
Types of prefixes (1)

Negative
un-, non-, in-, a (an)-, dis(e.g. unfair, non-resistant, invisible, amoral,

disobey)
Degree and Size
semi-, micro-, mini-, arch-, super-, out-, sur-, sub-,
over-, under-, hyper-, ultra
(e.g. hypersensitive, outlive, archenemy,
substandard, overdue, microwave)
Location
super-, sub-, inter-, trans-, ex-, mid-, extra(e.g. subway, transatlantic, international)
Types of prefixes (2)

Time and Order
fore-, pre-, post-, ex-, re-, ante(e.g. foreman, pre-historical, ex-minister)

Attitude
co-, counter-, anti-, pro(e.g. cooperative, counter-attack, anti-nuclear)
Number
uni-, mono-, bi-, di-, multi-, poly-, pluri(e.g. monosyllable, dichotomy, multiracial)
Exceptions
There are only 3 prefixes which are classchanging:
en- [creates transitive verbs from noun
bases: slave (n.) enslave (v.)]
be- [creates transitive verbs from noun
bases: witch (n.) bewitch (v.)]
a- (typically creates adjectives from noun and
verb bases: blaze (n./v.) ablaze (adj.)]
Exercises
English for students of computer science and
electrical engineering exercises 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6,7 (pp. 8-17)
Workbook for science and technology
students exercises from 1.1.9 to 1.1.12 (pp.
4-7)
+ http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/topic/prefixesand-suffixes
Suffixes
Derivational Suffixes
- derive new words and normally change the
word class (serve to alter the meaning of a
word by building on a base )
e.g. compute computer
Inflectional Suffixes - (carry grammatical
information)
- are grammatical suffixes and they do not
change the meaning
e. g. think thinks; travel travelled
Types of Suffixes
Noun-forming Suffixes:
-ance (resist-resistance; important-importance)
-ence (interfere-interference; absent-absence)
-or (edit-editor, conduct-conductor)
-er (program-programmer; compute-computer)
-ist (physics-physicist; perfection-perfectionist)
-ness (lonely-loneliness; bright-brightness)
Types of Suffixes (2)

Verb-forming Suffixes
-ize (summary-summarize; magnet-magnetize)
-ate (active-activate)
-fy (simple-simplify)
-en (length-lengthen)
Adjective-forming Suffixes
-able (value-valuable; compare-comparable)
-ible (divide-divisible; access-accessible)
-less (wire-wireless; cord-cordless)
-ous (danger-dangerous)
Type of Suffixes (3)

Adverb-forming Suffixes
-ly (logicallogically; electronicelectronically;
specialspecially; regularregularly)
-wise (clockclockwise)
Exceptions
These derivational suffixes do not change the
word class:
-hood [child (n.) childhood (n.)]
-ship [friend (n.) friendship (n.)]
Exercises
electrical engineering exercises 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6 (pp. 2-7), ex. 8 (pp. 14)
1-5)
+ http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/topic/prefixesand-suffixes
Acronyms
- A word formed from the initial letters or
groups of letters of the words in a name

or phrase
The classical acronym is also pronounced as
a word. Scuba was formed from selfcontained underwater breathing apparatus.
Special cases of acronyms

Special case - whole or part syllable can be used in
the formation of an acronym.

e.g. radar - RAdio Detection And Ranging
Another special case - initial letters form the
acronym, but they are still pronounced as letters
(many organization names are of this type).
e.g. UN (United Nations), IMF (International
Monetary Fund), IEEE (Institute of Electrical and
Electronic Engineers)
New Acronyms
Memos, email, and text messaging
gave rise to both clippings and

acronyms, since these word formation
methods are designed to abbreviate.
Some acronyms:
BRB - be right back
FYI - for your information
LOL - laughing out loud- now
pronounced either /lol/ or /el o el/.
Examples of Acronyms
ASCII - American Standard Code for
Information Interchange
LISP (LISt Processing )-Linked lists
processing
Laser - Light Amplification by Stimulated
Emission of Radiation
BASIC - Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic
Instruction Code
COBOL - COmmon Business-Oriented
Language
Examples of Acronyms (2)

UPS Uninterruptible Power Supply
ROM Read Only Memory
RAM Random Access Memory
LAN Local Area Network
CAD Computer-aided Design
Abbreviations
- Shortened form of a word or phrase used
to represent the whole

Hz hertz
MB - megabyte
Written Abbreviations
Apr. April
cm centimeter(s)
d. died, died in
dept. department
Dr. doctor
Jr. Junior
Mr. Mister
oz ounce(s)
Sun. Sunday
yd yard(s)
Spoken-Written Abbreviations
A.M. ante meridiem [in the morning]
B.C.E. Before Common Era
HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus
i.e. id est [that is]
JFK John Fitzgerald Kennedy
OJ orange juice
PMS premenstrual syndrome
RSVP rpondez s'il vous plait
VIP very important person
Blends
- A word made by putting together parts of
other words
Transistor transfer + resistor
Fortran Formula Translating
Bit binary digit
Pixel picture and element, via pix (pictures,
reference to movies)
Simulcast simultaneous + broadcast
Cyborg cybernetics and organism
Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms different words with same or
similar meaning
e.g. buy - purchase
liberty - freedom
Antonyms (opposites) words with opposite
or nearly opposite meaning

e.g. increase - decrease
add - subtract
Exercises
electrical engineering exercises 1, 2 (p. 15)
6-10)
References:
Robert Stockwell and Donka Minkova,
English Words: History and Structure,

Cambridge University Press, 2001.
Ingo Plag, Word-formation in English,
Cambridge University Press, 2003.
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~kemmer/Words/wordt
ypes.html
Online Etymology Dictionary. URL:
http://www.etymonline.com/

English Language, Word Formation

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English I

Word Formation Processes

Affixation - new words from existing ones

Word Formation Processes (2)

they are class-maintaining (generally)

Types of prefixes (1)

un-, non-, in-, a (an)-, dis(e.g. unfair, non-resistant, invisible, amoral,

Types of prefixes (2)

fore-, pre-, post-, ex-, re-, ante(e.g. foreman, pre-historical, ex-minister)

Types of Suffixes (2)

Type of Suffixes (3)

groups of letters of the words in a name

a word. Scuba was formed from selfcontained underwater breathing apparatus.

Special cases of acronyms

the formation of an acronym.

gave rise to both clippings and

Examples of Acronyms (2)

to represent the whole

Synonyms and Antonyms

or nearly opposite meaning

English Words: History and Structure,

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