资源描述
Word-formation
Word-formation or word-building is that branch of lexicology which studies the patterns on which a language, in this case, the English language, coins new words.
Percentage of new words coined by the different word-formation processes after World War The three major processes of word formation:
Composition or Compounding
Definition: Compounding is a word-formation process consisting of joining two or more bases to form a new unit, a compound word. Compounding is the most productive word-formation process in contemporary English.
Identity crisis 个性危机 stand-up collar 竖领
hit-and-run tactics 打了就跑的战术 spoon-feed 填鸭式灌输, 娇养
糊里糊涂 muddle-headed/minded 笨嘴笨舌 heavy-tongued
无忧无虑 carefree 饱经风霜weather-beaten/worn
令人心碎 heart-breaking 半死不活dead-alive/dead-and-alive
不合时宜 ill-timed/badly-timed 批量生产 mass-produce
Compounds are very often used because of their brevity and vividness. For example,
A schoolboy is more concise than “a boy attending school”;
“Up-to-the-minute information” is more vivid than “the latest information” ;
“The old man would sit for hours, thinking sadly of all the might-have-beens” is more compact and expressive than “…thinking sadly of the desirable things that could have happened in the past.”
The relative criteria of a compound word
Orthographic criterion(书写标准) : Compounds are written in three ways, e.g.
solid: airmail;
hyphenated: air-conditioning;
open: air force, air raid.
Phonological criterion(语音标准) :
Compound accent: a single stress on the first element; or a main stress on the first element and a secondary stress on the second element. E.g. 'blackboard, 'blue ‘ bottle (a large buzzing fly with blue body)
Normal phrase accent: a secondary stress on the first element and a main stress on the second element. E.g. ‘ blue 'bottle (a bottle which is blue)
Semantic criterion(语义标准) : A compound is a combination forming a unit expressing a single idea. The lexical meaning of the components are closely joined together to create a compound with a meaning which one can easily recognize, e.g. backdoor, sunset, workday. However, the meaning of a compound is not always the sum of the meanings of its parts, e.g. dog days, flatfoot ( a policeman), greenhouse, greenback (美钞),green-hand(生手), greenroom(演员休息室), mother wit(天生的智力), Indian paper(字典纸).
More examples: home letters(家信), home voyage(归程), home life(家庭生活), home affairs(家庭事务),home bird(不爱外出的人), home economics(家政学), home front(大后方), home games(在本地举行的比赛), home help(家务女佣), homemaker(主妇), home plate(棒球的本垒打), home sickness(思家病).
Word order:
A flower pot (花盆) a pot flower (盆花) tiptoe(脚尖) deaf-mute(聋哑者)
Some of them were influenced by French: court martial(军事法庭) ; president elect(当选总统); ambassador designate(尚未上任的大使)
Classification of compounds
Compounds can be classified according to parts of speech of the compounds.
noun compounds : airplane , flower pot
adjective compounds: weather-beaten , snowwhite
verb compounds: proof-read, baby-sit
proposition compounds: notwithstanding, alongside of
conjunction compounds: whenever ,whereas
pronoun compounds: another , myself
The three commonest types are noun compounds, adjective compounds, and verb compounds.
noun compounds
• Noun + noun
rainwater 雨水; springwater 泉水; houseplants 室内植物;fireball 火球 ; firecracker 鞭炮 ; spacecraft/spaceship 太空船;spacesuits 太空服;mousemat ; 鼠标垫 Dream Team;bar code 条形码; lip service 口头上说得好听的话; information highway 信息高速公路; science fiction 科幻小说; sugar cane 甘蔗;gaslight 煤气灯;
• Noun + verb
daybreak 拂晓; nightfall 夜幕降临;sunset/sunrise 日落, earthquake 地震;landslip/landslide (山体滑坡); headache toothache ;stomachache ;heartbeat drumbeat; footbeat 脚步节拍 ; wingbeat 翅翼振动 ; window-dress 布置橱窗; water-supply 自来水 ; snowfall 降雪量; toothpick 牙签; haircut ; pickpocket ; scarecrow稻草人 ( scare the crow)
• Verb + noun
cry baby (爱哭的婴儿); playboy (花花公子) ;glowworm (发光虫); watch-dog (看家狗), swearword(骂人话), breakwater(防波提), driveway(车道), jump suit(伞兵跳伞服,连衣裤工作服);rattle snake(响尾蛇)
• Verb + adv / prep
changeover (转变进程) ; setback (挫折); breakdown (崩溃), show-off(炫耀), slip-up(疏忽,不幸事故), put-off(推迟,搪塞), follow-up(连续广告法)sit-in, dropout, breakdown, walk-on, walkout, setback, take-off
• Adjective + noun
clear-way(超速道路), easy-chair, deadline, hard disk, soft disk,red tape(官样文章)
• adverb + noun
under-clothes(内衣), after-effect(后效,副作用), upgrade(升级), overburden
• V+ing + noun
chewing gum(口香糖), baking powder(发酵粉), reading lamp(台灯), lodging house(分间出租供人休息用的房屋),leading article(社论), working party(作业队)
• Adverb + verb
outlet(出口), upset(颠覆), downfall(垮台,陷落), upstart(暴发户), onflow(滚滚向前)
adjective compounds
• Pre-modifier VS. Post-modifier ( describe a noun phrase or restrict its meaning in some way)
• Compound modifiers, because of their expressiveness and brevity, are used quite flexibly in current English, especially in journalistic writings.
• noun + adjective
• skin-hungry, power-hungry, news-hungry, career-hungry (急于成名的) , bloodthirsty
• duty-free, tax-free, fat-free, toll-free, maintenance-free, dust-free, interest-free, care-free, ice-free, danger-free, nuclear-weapon-free
• water-proof, fire-proof, bullet-proof, rain-proof, bomb-proof, vibration-proof
• air-sick, seasick, car-sick, home-sick, heartsick (沮丧的)
• user-friendly, reader-friendly
• profit-conscious,time-conscious, class-conscious, environment-conscious, security-conscious
• slap-happy(被打得晕头转向的) boxer, trigger-happy (嗜杀成性的)gangster, travel-happy(对旅游入迷的)
• accident-prone, crisis-prone (危机四伏的),error-prone,
• air-tight(不透气的),water-tight, light-tight(不透光的), rain-tight
• work-shy(不愿工作的),camera-shy(怕上镜头的), publicity-shy (不愿出头露面的)
• color-blind, night-blind
• blood-weary (厌战的),travel-weary(旅途劳累的)
• stone-deaf, skin-deep, snow-white, ice-cold, knee-deep, paper-thin, mirror-bright, feather-light, fire-hot, crystal-clear, waist-high, shoulder-high, life-long, grass-green, dog-tired, threadbare(穿旧的)
• college-bound/preparatory (准备考大学的),labor-short (缺乏劳动力的),top-heavy(头重脚轻的),penny-wise(小事聪明的) , oven-fresh (刚出炉的) line-dry(一晾就干的),world-famous
• adjective + adjective
wet-cold, icy-cold, red-hot, white-hot, bitter-sweet, deaf-mute, shabby-genteel(穷酸的),dead-alive(半死不活的),dark-blue, deep-blue, light-blue, pale-blue, bright-red, bloody-red, yellow-green, yellowish-green,social-political
• V+ing + adjective
steaming-hot/smoking-hot (滚烫的,热气腾腾的),soaking-wet/wringing-wet(湿淋淋的,湿得可拧出水来的),biting-cold/freezing-cold (冷得刺骨的,冰冷的)
• Adverb/Prep + adjective
ever-victorious (战无不胜的),over-cautious, all-round (全面的), far-reaching (深远的,广泛的),evergreen (tree), wide-awake (机警的),over-sensitive, over-anxious, under-ripe (不成熟的),too-rapid
• noun +V+ing
peace-loving, time/space/energy/labor-saving, time-consuming, summer-flowering(夏季开花的), ocean-going (远洋的), fault-finding, record-breaking, heart-breaking, hair-raising, side-splitting (令人捧腹的),thirst-quenching (解渴的),man-eating
• noun + V+ed
heart-felt(衷心的), air-born(空降的,空运的), home-made, travel-worn(旅行得疲乏的), hen-pecked, book-filled, poverty-stricken, weather-beaten, thunder-struck, suntanned
• adjective/adverb + V+ing
fresh-frozen(速冻的), easy-going(随和的), familiar-sounding (听起来熟悉的),hard-working, ever-lasting (永恒的)
• adjective/adverb + V+ed
newly-developed, well-balanced, far-fetched (牵强附会的),half-baked(烤得半生不熟的,肤浅的), hard-won (来之不易的),quick-frozen (速冻的), new-laid (eggs), so-called, fresh-caught, newly-built, well-informed, well-organized
• noun + Noun+ed
hot-tempered(急性子的),chicken-hearted (胆怯的,软弱的),honey-mouthed, paper-backed (平装本的), eagle-eyed(目光尖锐地)
• adjective/adv. + Noun+ed
short-sighted, tender-hearted, sweet-hearted(性情温和的), green-fingered(擅长园艺的),open-handed, single-handed, bald-headed, empty-headed, hot-headed, kind-hearted, light-hearted, whole/half-hearted, absent-minded, narrow/broad-minded, double-faced, straight-faced, blue-eyed, muddle-minded/headed (糊里糊涂) , commercially-minded, heavy-tongued (笨嘴笨舌的),middle-aged, cold-blooded, strong-bodied, rosy-cheeked, apple-cheeked, close/tight-fisted(吝啬的), bare-footed, white-haired, high-heeled, ill-intentioned, weak-kneed (易屈服的),long-legged, close/tight-lipped (嘴紧的), ill-mannered, thick/thin-skinned (脸皮厚/薄),high-spirited, iron-willed, quick/short/slow/bad-tempered, glib-tongued (油嘴滑舌的),loose-tongued(嘴不严的)
• adjective + Noun
long-distance, full-length(未删节的),white-collar, red-letter(喜庆的), ,full-time, first-rate, high-speed, high-level, low-frequency, left-hand, real-time(实时的), long-range, deep-sea (fish)
• Verb + Noun
break-neck (危险的), telltale(搬弄是非的), cut-rate (减价的,次等的)
• Phrases or sentences
at-risk(处境危险的), in-your-face(明目张胆的), devil-may-care(不顾一切的), dog-eat-dog(狗咬狗的), round-the-clock, on-the-spot, cards-on-the-table, matter-of-fact, never-to-be-forgotten, once-in-a-life-time, off-the-cuff (临时想起的意见)opinion, back-up (备用) a stand-up collar (竖领), a walk-in closet (走入式大壁橱),a see-through shirt (透明的衬衫) take-home pay,cross-border raid,a keep-fit class(保健班)
verb compounds
The common way to form a compound verb is by means of back-formation. The back-formation is a process of word formation by which a word is created by dropping the supposed or imagined affixes
Housekeeping → housekeep, test-drive(试车),machine-gun, nickname, spotlight, honeymoon, outline, speed-read, soft-land, vacuum-clean, mass-produce, sight-see, proof-read, tape-record, chain-smoke, ghost-write, air-condition, baby-sit, window-shop, spoon-feed, hen-peck, snowball, middle-road(走中间道路), chain-react, face-harden(使表面硬化), wire-pull (幕后操纵),daydream, skyrocket, sleepwalk, highlight, safeguard, whitewash, sweet-talk, job-hop
A compound verb can also be formed by means of analogy
1.chain-drink: from chain-smoke
2.bottle-feed: feed from a bottle. from breast-feed: feed from a mother's breast
A compound verb can also be formed by means of verb phrases
overwork, withhold(扣留), cross-question(盘问),upbuild (建立), uplift, uproot, fast-talk(花言巧语地企图说服),off-load(卸货), outeat(吃得比……多), outgo, outgrow , ill-treat, overhear, overtake, undergo, underline, undermine, undertake,
Affixation or Derivation
It is a process of forming new words by the addition of a word element, such as a prefix, suffix, or combining form, to an already existing word.
A combining form is a bound morpheme, which was originally a full word in Latin or Greek, such as auto-(from GK autos self).
据统计下列14个词根和20个词缀出现在词典里10,000多个英语单词中
词
前缀
词根
Precept
pre- (before)
capere (take, seize)
detain
de- (away, from)
tenere (hold, have)
intermittent
inter- (between)
mittre (send)
offer
ob- (against)
ferre (bear, carry)
Insist
in- (into)
stare (stand)
monograph
mono- (alone, one)
graph (write)
epilogue
epi (upon)
egein (say, study)
词
前缀
词根
aspect
ad- (to, toward)
spicere (see)
uncomplicated
un- (not); com- (together)
plicare (fold)
nonextended
non- (not); ex- (out of)
tendere (stretch)
reproduction
re- (back, again); pro- (forward)
ducere (lead)
indisposed
in- (not); dis- (apart from)
ponere (put, place)
oversufficient
over- (above); sub- (under)
facere (make, do)
mistranscribe
mis- (wrong); trans- (across)
scribere (write)
Number-related prefixes from Latin
prefix
meaning
examples
uni-
one
uniform
duo-
two
duet (二重唱/奏)
tri-
three
trio (三人组)
quad-, quart-
four
quadruplets (四胞胎)
quint-
five
quintuplets
sext
six
sexet (六人组)
sept
seven
september (7th month, Roman calendar)
oct-
eight
october
nona
nine
nonagenarian (90-99岁的人)
Number-related prefixes from Latin
deca-
ten
decade
cent-
hundred
centigrade (一百度的)
multi-
many
multiply
prim-, prin-
first
primary
secund
second
secondary
ambi
both (双)
ambivalent (两种价值观的,有矛盾心理的)
equi-
equal
equidistant (等距离的)
omni-
all
omnipotence (全能)
semi-, sem
half
semester (half a year 学期)
demi-
half
demitasse (half a cup for serving coffee (一小杯清咖啡)
Number-related prefixes from Greek
prefix
meaning
examples
Mono-
one
monologue
duo-, di-
two
dialogue
tri-
three
triangle
tetra-
four
tetrameter (四音步诗)
penta-
five
pentameter,pentagon
hexa-
six
hexagon
hepta-
seven
heptagon
deka-, dec-
ten
decathlon
hemi-
half
hemisphere
pan-
all
pandemic (大流行病)
I.Prefixation
The definition of prefixation
Prefixation is the formation of new words by adding prefixes to stems. Prefixes do not generally change the word-class of the stem but only modify its meaning. However, there is an insignificant number of class-changing prefixes
Non-class-changing prefixes: natural-unnatural, like-dislike, fair-unfair
Class-changing prefixes: force-enforce, danger-endanger, form-deform, little-belittle, war-postwar, college-intercollege
The classification of prefixes
In some reference books, prefixes (and suffixes) are classified according to their source, but this does not seem to help from a practical point of view. It seems more helpful to classify the most important productive prefixes by their meaning into the following ten categories:
The most productive prefixes
Prefixes which are negative
a-, dis-, in-, non-, un-
Prefixes which are reversative or privative
de-, dis-, un-
Prefixes which are pejorative
mal-, mis-, pseudo-
Prefixes which are of degree or size
arch-, extra-, hyper-, macro-, mini-, out-, over-, sub-, super, sur-, ultra-, under-
Prefixes which are of attitude
anti-, co-, contra- counter-, pro-
Prefixes which are locative
extra-, fore-, inter-, intra-, super-, tele-, trans-,
Prefixes which are of time and order
ex-, fore-, pre-, post-, re-
Prefixes which are of number
semi-, uni-, mono-, bi-, di-, tri-, multi-, poly-
Prefixes which are of a miscellaneous category
Auto-, neo- pan-, proto-, vice-
1.Negative prefix
a-/an-
amoral, asexual, atheism, anacid, anarchy,
dis-
dishonest, discontent, disobey, disagree
in-
Incomplete, inconsistent, incorrect, invulnerable, illogical, illegal, impolite, immoral, imbalance, irrational, irregular
non-
nonviolent, non-cooperation, nonautomatic, nonadjustable, nonalcoholic
un-
uninformative, unexpected, unease, unrest
2.Reversative or privative prefix含“消除”意思
de-
defrost, deregulation, degeneration, denationalize,dehydrate
depollute, devalue, decentralize
un-
undo, unpack, untie, unwrap, unmask
dis-
disconnect, dishearten, disinterested(公正的,无私的), disambigulate
3.Pejorative prefix
mis-
misguide, misapplication, misbehavior, mischoice,
mal-
maladjustment, maldigestion, malfunction, maldevelopment,maltreat, malodorous, malnutrition
pseudo-
pseudonym, pseudoscience, pseudoclassic, pseudo-friend, pseudodemocratic,
4) Prefixes of degree or size
hyper-
hyperactive, hypercritical, hyperaggressive, hypercautious
u
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