Unit 10

Question 1

What is lexicography?

Answer 1

The process of arranging and describing items of vocabulary in works like dictionaries or glossaries, among others.

Question 2

2 Types of lexicography:

Answer 2

• Alphabetic lexicography: dictionaries.

- Thematic lexicography: thesauri.

Question 3

What was the 1st English dictionary?

Answer 3

‘A table alphabetical’, by Robert Cawdrey in the 17th century.

Question 4

Contributions of Samuel Johnson’s dictionary from the 18th century

Answer 4

• Words were separated and numbered.

- It included context to explain the meaning of a word.

Question 5

The Oxford English Dictionary (19th century) included all words in use since the year…………and the date of its publication

Answer 5

1100

Question 6

Major AmE dictionary from the 19th century:

Answer 6

Noah Webster’s ‘An American dictionary of the English language’ (19th century).

Question 7

List the 4 dictionaries studied:

Answer 7

• 17th century: ‘A table alphabetical’ by Robert Cawdrey.
• 18th century: Samuel Jonson’s.
• 19th century: Oxford English Dictionary.
• 19th century in America: Noah Webster’s ‘An American dictionary of the English language’.

Question 8

What is word-formation?

Answer 8

‘The study of the ways in which new complex words are built on the basis of other words or morphemes’ Plag, 2002.

Question 9

What are two word-formation processes?

Answer 9

Affixation and compounding.

Question 10

Types of plural formation in English

Answer 10

1. REGULAR PLURAL: -s suffix is added to the noun. Exceptions:
   - -es after nouns ending in sibilants.
   - Treatment of -y.
   - Double consonants in a few words like quiz/quizzes, bus/busses.
2. IRREGULAR PLURALS
   - Zero plural: fish, sheep, etc.
   - Vowel alteration: mouse/mice, woman/women.
   - en plural: child/children, brother/brethren.
   - Foreign plurals: cactus/cacti, phenomenon/phenomena

Question 11

3 Noun formation processes:

Answer 11

• Prefixation
• Suffixation
• Compounding: madman, spending money, airplane, etc.

Question 12

4 verb formation processes

Answer 12

1. Inflection: third person singular -s/-es, past participle -ed, present participle -ing and negation not/n’t.
2. Prefixation: be- (become, becalm), em- (empower).
3. Suffixation: -en (blacken, strengthen), -ify (diversify), -ize (symbolize).
4. Compounding.

Question 13

Adverb formation processes

Answer 13

-Suffixation: -ly, -ward, -wise, -style (American-style).

Question 14

Adjective formation processes

Answer 14

• Inflection: -er, -est.
• Prefixation: a- (afloat, adrift).
• Suffixation: -able, -al (accidental), -ary (complementary), -ed (blue-eyed), -esque (picturesque, kafkaesque), -ful (forgetful), -ic (electric), etc.