Theoretical questions part 2 Flashcards
Word-formation processes can be divided
into 3 main types:
primary, secondary, marginal
Name the primary word-formation
processes.
- affixation
- compounding
- conversion
- Name the secondary word-formation processes.
- shortening
- blending
- back-formation
- reduplication
- lexical ellipsis
- Name the marginal word-formation processes.
- sound interchange
- eponymy
- shift of stress
- sound symbolism
- word manufacture
- What does it mean when we say that a word- formation process is productive?
Many lexemes can be formed by particular word-formation process.
- What is affixation?
Affixation is a productive word-formation process in which new lexemes are produced by adding derivational affixes to at least one root lexeme
- Give some noun-forming suffixes.
-tion, -ity, -er, -ness, -ism, -ment, -ant, -ship, -age, -ery.
- Give some verb-forming suffixes.
-en, -ify, -ate, - ise
- Give some adverb-forming suffixes.
-y, -like, -en
- Give some negative prefixes.
un-, dis-, in-, im-, il-, ir-, non-, de-, mis-
- Give some diminutive suffixes.
-y/-ie, -ette, -let, -ock, -ling, -o
- What is compounding?
Compounding is a process of creating new words by combining at least two root morphemes.
- According to their structure, compounds can be divided into:
- simple (2 root morphemes, e.g. daylight)
- complex (3+ root morphemes, e.g. forget-me-not)
- According to the relationship between their components, compounds can be divided into:
- coordinative (e.g. deaf-mute)
- subordinative (e.g. blackboard)
- According to the word-formation processes involved, compounds can be divided into:
- mono-formative (mother-in-law)
- poly-formative (back-bench/er)
- Explain why some compounds are called literal. Give some examples.
- The meaning of the morphemes is compositional.
- Example: classroom, sunlight, deaf-mute
- Explain why some compounds are called metaphorical. Give some examples.
- They cannot be interpreted literally.
- Example: chatterbox, pickpocket, nightcap
- Give one example of a compound adjective, compound verb, and a compound adverb.
- adjective: brand-new
- verb: downsize
- adverb: outside
- What is conversion?
Conversion is a very productive word-formation process in which a word is converted into a different word-class without adding any affix.
- What is indirect conversion? Give an example.
- Where a noun is not converted to a verb, but it is pre-modified by verbs such as have, get, take, give, and make, and the phrase has a verbal function.
- Example: take a shower = to shower
- The process of shortening can be divided into these types:
- clipping
- acronymy
- initialisms
- graphical abbreviation
- Clipping can be defined as …
Clipping involves cutting off one or more letter or syllables of a word.
- Depending on which part of the word is clipped, we distinguish these types of clipping:
- initial
- medial
- final
- Give two examples of initial clipping and final clipping.
- Initial: aeroplane –> plane, omnibus –> bus
- Final: gymnasium –> gym, brother –> bro
- What is the difference between transparent and non-transparent clipping?
- Transparent: the clipped lexeme directly corresponds to a part of the original word
- Non-transparent: the clipped lexeme doesn’t directly correspond to a part of the original word
- What is the difference between acronyms and initialisms?
Acronyms are read as regular words. Initialisms are always spelled out, we do not read them as words.
- What is special about graphical abbreviation?
This type of shortening is restricted to a written language.
- What is blending? Give two examples.
- Blending is a process in which two words merge into one.
- Example: br(eakfast) + (l)unch –> brunch, sm(oke) + (f)og –> smog
- Define the term back-formation. Give two examples.
- A formation of a new lexeme by means of a deletion of a suffix-like element from apparently complex form.
- Example: editor –> to edit, lazy –> to laze
- Give examples of full and partial reduplicatives.
- Full: bye-bye, chop-chop
- Partial: tip-top, chit-chat
- Define lexical ellipsis.
An omission of one word of a multi-word phrase/collocation.
- What is sound interchange? Give two examples.
- This process typically involves a change of word class by the mutation of one or more phonemes within the word/root.
- Example: blood –> bleed, breath –> breathe
- What is interesting about the words present, export, frequent, absent, etc. from the word-formative point of view?
Shift of stress
