Anintroductiontoword–formation

方源和

A word is a free form which doesnt consist entirely of lesser free forms. In briefly， a word is a minimum free form. You may be curious about how the words are formed. Lets study the rules how words are formed step by step .

1. Onomatopoeic words

The words which represent sounds or things that make a sound are called onomatopoeic words. i.e. The words “bang and crash” are clearly imitative of the sounds that they denote.

2. Borrowing

Borrowing is the taking over of words from other languages. Throughout its history， the English language has adopted a vast number of loan–?words from other languages. For instance， alcohol（Arabic）、robot（Czech）、tycoon（Japanese）、Kung fu（Chinese）.

Latin：Battle，banner，wall，pit，street，pound，wine，trade，bargain，jar，kettle，dish，gem，cheese，pepper，plum，nutter，pipe，mule，Chester，Manchester.

Alter，candle，creed，disciple，mass，nun，shrine，shrive，alms，angel，anthem，amen，apostle，bishop，Christ，church，clerk，devil，martyr，minister，monk，pope，priest，psalm，cap，sock，purple，chest，mat，sack，millet，radish，doe，oyster，lobster，cook，box，pine，lily，mallow，school，master，circle，elephant，talent，giant.

Contempt，frustrate，distract，gesture，history，immune，include，incredible，index，individual，infancy，minor，moderate，necessary，nervous，ornate，picture，polite，popular，present，private，promote，quite，interrupt，legal，mechanical，rational，reject，script，secular，solar，solitary，submit，suppress，subscribe，summary，temperate，temporal，testify，tract，-able，-ible，-al，-ous，-ive.

Focus，radius，status，bouns，circus，apparatus，nucleus，genius，eateem，minimum，maximum，stratum，via，criteria，species，series，specimen，prostest，enterprise，reproach，alibi.

Greek：

Democracy，monarchy，politics，anarchy，logic，academy，philosophy，matephysics，astronomy，atom，arithmetic，geography，eclipse，mathmatics，planet，sphere，anatomy，arthritis，clinic，diet，pharmacy，alphabet，drama，epic，grammar，idiom，phrase，poem，poet，rhythm，athlete，gymnasium，stadium，anthology，architect，chaos，electric，erotic，ethnic，hero，idiot，method，music，mystery.

Anti-，hyper-， pacifist， speedometer， television.

French：

Barber，butcher，carpenter，fletcher，mason，taylor，govern，reign，state，crown，country，power，council，authority，parliament，people，nation，feudal，vassal，prince，peer，duke，count，baron，justice，just，judge，jury，court，suit，sue，defendant，plea，plead，fee，accuse，crime，felony，traitor，damage，dower，heritage，property，realestate，injury，privilege，bail，person，piety，religion，service，angel，sacrifice，cruel，miracle，pray，prayer，sermon，virtue，vicce，duty，consience，grace，desire，pity，discipline，mercy，war，peace，battle，arms，dart，ensign，siege，office，captain，colonel，lieutenant，soldier，troops，vessel，navy，challenge，enemy，danger，prison，march，force，company，guard，beef，veal，mutton，pork，baccon，brawn，sauce，biol，fry，roast，toast，pasty，soup，jelly，dainty，dinner，supper，feast，arch，tower，pillar，porch，column，choir，palace，castle，manor，mansion，fashion，dress，gown，dobe，garment，attire，cloak，coat，veil，lace，embroidery，fur.

Barber，butcher，carpenter，fletcher，mason，taylor，govern，reign，state，crown，country，power，council，authority，parliament，people，nation，feudal，vassal，prince，peer，duke，count，baron，justice，just，judge，jury，court，suit，sue，defendant，plea，plead，fee，accuse，crime，felony，traitor，damage，dower，heritage，property，Joy，pleasure，delight，ease，comfort，flower，fruit，leisure，chase，sport，cards，dice，partner，suit，trump，ace，deuce.

3. compounding

Its a combination of two or more words which functions as a single word， i.e. Compound noun， lifeboat， shellfish， wallpaper. Compound adjective： man-made， duty-free， heart-broken， worn-out. There are many other similar examples， such as daydreaming， window shopping， everlasting， ocean-going， record-breaking， peace loving， and so on.

Compound preposition： into ， throughout ， without. Compound verb： sky-dive ， babysit. Besides， English compounds can be analyzed according to different criteria. According to orthographic criterion， compounds are written in three ways： ①solid： i.e. bedtime， newspaper， horseback ②hyphenated：i.e. above-mentioned， part-time， good-looking， second-hand ③open：i.e. reading material， black sea， black sheep.

4. Blending

Its combining parts of other words . Blending is a relatively complex form of compounding in which two words are blended by joining the initial part of the first word and the final part of the second word or by joining the initial parts of the two words .

i.e. channel + tunnel → chunnel. situation + comedy→ sitcom. teleprinter + exchanger→ telex. communication + satellite→ comsat. smoke + fog → smog. motor +hotel → motel. news broadcast→newscast. television broadcast→telecast. helicopter airport→heliport.

5. Abbreviation

Abbreviation is also called clipping. This occurs when a word of more than one syllable is reduced to a shorter form ， often in casual speech.

（1）截头

telephone→phone aeroplane→plane

omnibus→bus discotheque→disco

（2）去尾

mathematics→maths executive→exec

co-operate→co-op discotheque→disco

（3）截头去尾

influenza→flu refrigerator→fridge

6. Backformation

Backformation refers to an abnormal type of word-formation where a shorter word is derived by deleting an imagined affix from a longer form already in the language.逆生法（Backformation）是英语构词法的一种类型。Backformation这个术语是Sir Jamos Murray于1887年创造的（Jesperson在1894年写的一篇文章中将这种构词方法称之为Substruction），它有多种译名：逆生法、逆成法、逆序法、反成法、逆造法、逆构词法、逆序造词、例反构词、等等。形成逆生词的原形词可分三类：

（1）名词 i.e.

stoker >stoke emotion >emote beggar >beg

由逆生法构成的复合动词：

◆ i.e. caretaker > caretake

◆ air-conditioning > air-condition

（2）形容词

i.e. lazy >laze greedy >greed gloomy >gloom

peevish（易怒的） > peeve

（3）以副词后缀-ling结尾的词

◆ eg. sidling （侧面，斜看）>sidle （侧身而行）

darkling >darkle

◆ 以上例证中的逆生词多半由名词包括复合名词构成。在现代英语中，由形容词或副词转成的逆生词的例子并不多。

◆ 大多逆生词都是动词，其他词类很少见，如用作形容词的逆生词：utterly >utter

7. Acronyms（首尾字母缩略法）

Some new words ，known as acronyms， are formed from the initial letters of a set of other words. （首尾字母缩略法，即用单词首尾字母组成一个新词。读音主要有两种形式，即各字母分别读音；作为一个单词读音。）

i.e. compact disk→CD . video cassette recorder →VCR， radio detecting and ranging →radar. World Trade Organization→ WTO. very important person→VIP （读字母音）要人；大人物television→TV （读字母音）电视Testing of English as a Foreign Language→TOEFL托福

8. Derivation

Derivation shows the relationship between roots and affixes. （affix refers to letters or sounds which changes the meaning or functions of the words.） 在词根前面加前缀或在词根后面加后缀构成一个与原单词意义相近或截然相反的新词叫作派生法。

（1）前缀。除少数前缀外，前缀一般改变单词的意义，不改变词性；后缀一般改变词类，而不引起词义的变化。

1）表示否定意义的前缀常用的有dis-， il-， im-， in-， ir-， mis-， non-， un-等，在单词的前面加这类前缀常构成与该词意义相反的新词。例如：

appear出现→disappear消失

correct正确的→incorrect不正确的

2）表示其他意义的前缀常用的有a-（多构成表语形容词）， anti- （反对；抵抗）， auto- （自动）， co- （共同）， en- （使）， inter- （互相）， re- （再；又）， sub- （下面的；次；小）， tele- （强调距离）等。例如：

alone单独的 antigas防毒气的

cooperate合作 enjoy使高兴

internet互联网 reuse再用

（2）后缀。英语单词不仅可以通过加前缀构成新词，也可加后缀构成新词。后缀通常会改变单词的词性，构成意义相近的其他词性；少数后缀还会改变词义，变为与原来词义相反的新词。

1）构成名词的后缀常用的有-ence，-（e）r/ -or ，-ese，-ess，-ful （一……），-ian，-ist，-ment，-ness，-tion。例如：

differ→difference write→writer

Japan→Japanese act→actress

mouth→mouthful music→musician

2）构成动词的后缀常用的有-（e）n （多用于形容词之后），-fy （使……化），-ize （使……成为）。例如：

wide→widen beauty→beautify

pure→purify real→realize

3）构成形容词的后缀常用的有-al，

-able （有能力的），-（a）n（某国人的），-en （多用于表示材料的名词后），-ern （方向的），-ese（某国人的），-ful，-（ic）al，-ish，-ive，-less （表示否定），-like （像……的），-ly，-ous，-some，-y （表示天气）等。例如：

nature→natural east→eastern

reason→reasonable gold→golden

4）构成副词的常用后缀有-ly （主要用于形容词之后表示方式或程度），-ward（s） （主要用于表示方位的词之后表示方向）。例如：

angry→angrily to→towards east→eastward

5）构成数词的后缀有-teen （十几），-ty （几十），-th （构成序数词）。例如：

six→sixteen→sixteenth four→forty→fortiethyn

9. Conversion

Conversion refers to a change in function of a word . It occurs mostly between nouns and adjectives.

For example，①A number of nouns can be used as verbs， such as in the following sentences or phrases： He is papering the bedroom walls. gold ring、To pocket the money. Please hand me the book. She nursed her husband back to health. We lunched together. ②many verbs can be used as nouns ，too. For instance， Let's go out for a walk. He is a man of strong build. Let's have a swim. ③few adjectives can also be transformed to verbs. i.e. We will try our best to better our living conditions. ④few adverbs can also be transferred to be a noun. Murder will out. ⑤few adjectives can also be transformed to nouns. i.e. Some adjectives such as “old， young， poor， rich， wounded， injured”，which can be combined with “the” means a group of people：The old in our village are living a happy life.

10. coinage

Coinage is the invention of totally new terms. The most typical sources are invented trade names for a company's product which become general terms for any version of that product ，such as words like aspirin， nylon， Xerox， Kodak， coke.

Above all， I believe that its helpful for us to memorize the new words and understand the meaning of them. As long as we can grasp the word-formation.