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the case of Grammar these are phrases, clauses and sentences. In the case of lexicology these are
words, or, more precisely, lexical items.Grammar makes general abstract statements about the
units concerned, and lexicology makes specific statements about individual units.
However, they share a common ground in one case: generalities are necessary, but
idiosyncrasies of individuals are also very important. This area is word-formation. The processes
of word-formation are subjected to the idiosyncrasies inherent in the lexicon, whereas the rules
of grammar trascend the individualities and unpredictibilities of the lexical items. It involves
BASE is a word to which the rules of word-formation are applied. It is different from the
STEM. The STEM is the form of a word stripped of all the affixes thar are recognizable as such
in English.
:-PREFIXATION:putting a prefix in front of the base. It generally does not change the
word-class, and the stress never falls on it.There are several classes:
Negative prefixes:
Added to a participle:
Added to verbs:
unerringly (l.39) {(un + err + ing) + ly+} (-un and -ing have to be added at the
invincibility (l.32)
This word is very complex, since the stem does not exist in English. I think that vinci is
the Latin word and it means “defeat” So the process of word-formation would be:
in +vincible + ity -the adding of -in and -ity is also a double process
Prefixes of degree:
Prefixes of attitude:
Conversion prefixes.
en- it means “to cause to become” and is added to nouns and adjectives
There are some words which seem to be te result of compounding two different bases,
since both elements of the word have lexical meaning. However. Iwill consider them the result
of prefixation, since one of the elements has all the features of a prefix:
It is the case of :
androgyny (l. 37) andro (meanig “concerning male”) + gyn (meaning “concerning
female”) + y.
paraplegic (l. 68) para (meaning “beyond”) + plegic.
SUFFIXATION.
depending on the class of the base they are tipically added to.
Status, domain.
-(i)an: it means “pertaining to...”and is added to proper nouns to form personal nouns.
nouns.
personal nouns.
*The real verb is nominate, but the suffix -ate has been added tothe base of the word and
it has been only the base word which has been taken to form the new word.
-ation: it means “state/action” and is added to verbs to form abstract or collective words.
-ence/ance.
-ness: it means “state or quality” and is added to adjectives to form abstract nouns.
-ity: it means “state or quality” and is added to adjectives to form abstract nouns.
VERB SUFFIXES.
-ful: it means “having... or giving...” and is added to abstract nouns to form gradable
adjectives
-y: it means “like” or “covered with” and is added to concrete nouns to form adjectives.
-ish: it means “belonging to” and is added to proper nouns to form non gradable
adjectives.
elemental element + al
-able /-ible: it means “worthy to be V-ed” and is added to verbs to form adjectives.
ADVERB SUFFIXES.
-ly: it means “in a ... manner” and is added to adjectives to form adverbs of manner or
point of view.
More:happily (l. 14), apparently (l. 15), certainly (l. 35), belatedly (l. 55), cheaply (l.
60), brilliantly (l. 65), carelessly (l. 73), effortlessly (l. 75), paradoxically (l. 78), unerringly (l.
39), undoubtedly (l. 170), finally (l. 99), seriously (l. 121), eventually (l. 129), assuredly
(l.162),.
CONVERSION
It is the process which makes an item ghange its word-class without changing its external
VERB TO NOUN
ADJECTIVE TO NOUN
epic (l. 93) it is supposed to mean an epic film, but the noun has been removed.
NOUN TO VERB.
2) To deprive of N.
3) To ...with N as an instrument.
4) To make/change...into N.
ADJECTIVE TO VERB.
PHRASE TO ADJECTIVE
best-supporting-actor (nomination).(l.128)
OTHER CHANGES:
soviet (l. 87) adjective which comes from the proper noun Soviet Union.
COMPOUNDING:
We build new words by joing bases which already exists. The one placed in front usually
NOUN COMPOUNDS
Verbless compounds.
ADJECTIVE COMPOUNDS.
Verbless compounds.
CLIPPING.
It is the process by which we remove one or more syllables from a word. It may happen
at:
ACRONYMS:
This essay has made clear that English is a very fruitful language when we have to form
words.There are plenty of resources, although some of them are more used than others. In
general, it is noticeable that suffixes are more used that prefixes. I think that the reason is that
with the former, words are not forced to keep its word-class, so there is more freedom to add all
the suffixes you want, whereas the use of the latter very seldom implies the change of word-
class, so it is more restrained.Within the group of suffixes. -ly is the most used, since it can be
Although the process of word formation looks very easy at the beginning, it is not as
simple. I have found difficulties in some words such us imminent, fugitive, final, , oblivious,
ludicrous, audience and mutable. There have been some gaps in the word-formation process
impossible to fill in. since the base form does not exist in English. It is because English words
have also Latin origin, and maybe the original form has changed, or has been lost. It also shows
us the richness of English, which is able to make up new forms with words which are no longer
in use.
BIBLIOGRAPHY