Formation of Words

The Formation of Words has few rules which determine the nature of the words formed
thus.

Words can be classified into four types as follows:

1. Primary Words.
2. Compound Words
3. Primary Derivatives
4. Secondary Derivatives

Now, let us see how each type of word is formed.

1. Primary Words:

Words which are not derived or compounded or developed from other words are called
Primary Words.

They belong to the original stocks of the words.

Examples:

Most of the words in English language are only Primary Words.

Moon, sun, day, night, month, school, boy, girl, road, write, go sit, walk, net, dash, dot,
book, pin, he, she, it etc

A Primary Word may be of the type of noun, verb, adjective, pronoun, adverb etc

The Formation of Words has few rules which determine the nature of the words formed
thus.

2. Compound Words:

The Compound Words are formed by joining two or more Primary Words.

Examples:

Moonlight, undertake, nevertheless, man-of-war, misunderstanding etc

This way the Compound Words are formed.

A Compound Word may be of the type of noun, verb, adjective, pronoun, adverb,
conjunction, preposition etc

An addition to the beginning of a word is a Prefix.

An addition to the end of word is a Suffix.

Compound Words are the most part Nouns, Adjectives and Verbs

Now let us wee how the Compound Words of Nouns, Adjectives and Verbs are formed.

Compound Words-Nouns:

Compound Words-Nouns may be formed:

i. Noun + Noun:

Examples:

Moonlight
Armchair
Postman
Railway
Shoemaker
Windmill
Teaspoon
Haystack
Ringleader
Jailbird
Horse-power
Screwdriver
Tax-payer
Airman
Manservant
Fire-escape
Chess-board

ii. Adjective + Noun:

Examples:

Sweetheart
Nobleman
Shorthand
Blackboard
Quicksilver
Stronghold
Halfpenny

iii. Verb + Noun:

Examples:

Spendthrift
Makeshift
Breakfast
Telltale
Pick-packet
Cut-throat
Daredevil
Hangman
Scarecrow

The Formation of Words has few rules which determine the nature of the words formed
thus. iv. Gerund + Noun:

Examples:
 Drawing-room
Writing-desk
Looking-glass
Walking-stick
Blotting-paper
Stepping-stone
Spelling-book

v. Adverb (or Preposition)+ Noun:

Examples:

Outlaw
Afternoon
Forethought
Foresight
Overcoat
Downfall
Afternoon
Bypass
Inmate
Inside

vi. Verb + Adverb:

Examples:

Drawback
Lock-up
Go-between
Die-hard
Send-off

vii. Adverb + Verb:

Knowledge of Formation of words will help you form your own words.

Examples:

Outset
Upkeep
Outcry
Income
Outcome

Compound Words-Adjectives:

i. Noun + Adjectives (or Participle):

Examples:

Blood-red
 Sky-blue
Snow-white
Pitch-dark
Breast-high
Skin-deep
Lifelong
World-wide
Headstrong
Homesick
Stone-blind
Seasick
Love-lorn
Hand-made
Bed-ridden
Heart-broken
Moth-eaten
Note-worthy

Knowledge of Formation of words will help you form your own words.

ii. Adjective + Adjective:

Examples:

Red-hot
Blue-black
White-hot
Dull-grey
Lukewarm

iii. Adverb + Participle:

Examples:

Longsuffering
Everlasting
Never-ending
Thorough-bred
Well-deserved
Outspoken
Down-hearted
Inborn
Far-seen

iv. Noun + Verb:

Waylay
Backbite
Typewrite
Browbeat
Earmark v. Adjective + Verb:

Examples:
 Safeguard
Whitewash
Fulfill

vi. Adverb + Verb:

Examples:

Overthrow
Overtake
Foretell
Undertake
Undergo
Overhear
Overdo
Outbid
Outdo
Upset
Ill-use

The Formation of Words has few rules which determine the nature of the words formed
thus.

NOTE:

In most Compound Words, it is the first word which modifies the meaning of the second
word. The accent is placed upon the modifying word when the amalgamation is
complete.When the two elements are only partially blended, a hyphen is put between the
two words and the accent fall equally on both of them.

3. Primary Derivatives:

These words are formed by making some changes in the body of the Primary Words.

Bond from bind

Breach from break
Wrong from wring

NOTE:

The most important class of words formed by internal changes consists of the past tenses
of the Primary Words. Those past tense-words are not treated as Derivatives.

i. Formation of Nouns from Verbs:

Examples:

Choice from choose

Bliss from bless
Chip from chop
Breach from break
Dole from deal
 Dike from dig
Fleet from float
Doom from deem
Bier from bear
Watch from wake
Seat from sit
Gap from gape
Girth from gird
Grief from grieve
Woof from weave

ii. Formation of Nouns from Adjectives:

Examples:

Dolt from dull

Heat from hot
Pride from proud

iii. Formation of Adjectives from Verbs:

Examples:

Fleet from float

Low from lie

iv. Formation of Adjectives from Nouns:

Examples:

Milch from milk

Wise from wit

v. Formation of Verbs from Nouns:

Examples:

Bathe from bath

Bleed from blood
Believe from belief
Breathe from breath
Breed from brood
Clothe from cloth
Drip from drop
Feed from food

The Formation of Words has few rules which determine the nature of the words formed
thus.

vi. Formation of Adjectives from Verbs:

Examples:
 Cool from chill
Hale from heal

vii. Formation of Nouns from Verbs:

Examples:

Gold from gild

Grass from graze
Half from halve
Knot from knit
Sale from sell
Sooth from soothe
Tale from tell
Thief from thieve
Wreath from wreathe

4. Secondary Derivatives:

Secondary derivatives of a word are formed by adding either a prefix or a suffix to the
word.

An addition to the beginning of a word is a Prefix.

An addition to the end of word is a Suffix.

Examples:

Income is a secondary derivative of the word word.

Here the addition in is a prefix.

Undergo is a secondary derivative of the word go.

Here the addition under is a prefix.

Friendship is a secondary derivative of the word friend.

Here the addition ship is a suffix.

Darkness is a secondary derivative of the word dark.

Here the addition ness is a suffix.

There are many prefixes and suffixes.

The Formation of Words has few rules which determine the nature of the words formed
thus. The complete lists of PREFIXES and SUFFIXES are in other pages.