Word-formation Flashcards
Morphology focuses on
Inflexion
Lexicology focuses mainly on
Word-formation
Word-formation is…
Process of generating new words. Focuses on units that are higher than a word but usually smaller than units studied by syntax
Inflection is…
Focuses on modification of words that are dictated by sentence structure. Never overlaps the limits of a single word. Highly limited.
The word-formation connects the extra-linguistic reality with linguistic elements
new element in reality ( inventions, technology)-> we create new word( neologism)
Word position: what morpheme is closer to the word-root? Why?
Derivational morpheme.
Inflectional morphemes are always further from the root. # teach/er/s/
And derivational morphemes that are key elements of word-formation are always closer to the root. The are priorities because they give us freedom to choose while inflectional morphemes are required by sentence structure. Obligatory elements.
Lexicology= word-formation + lexical semantics. Can be parallel to derivational morphology.
Study of lexicon, system of leximes
What is Lexeme?
-smallest bilateral( 2aspects: thought+form) unit of meaning
-cluster of inflectional variants
-potential abstract unit
# lexeme “go”
Concrete realizations: went, gone, going( so called word-forms= alolex)
Lexeme also can be proverb, idiom, collocation, fixed expression.
What is a word-form?
A concrete realization of particular lexeme or alolex.
What is word?
-lexico-grammatical unit (independent form and independent meaning)
-sequence of sounds/signs used in language to express an idea and transmit a meaning to a listener
-ultimate minimal linguistic element with meaning.
There is nothing smaller than a word that has lexical meaning. Always consist of at least one free lexical morpheme.
Why we need more context in English language (analytical) to understand a meaning?
Because synthetic languages such as Czech, Russian, Polish usually have more definite meaning than analytical language, one word can have several meanings and senses.
Major word formation processes
- derivation
- compounding
- affixation
- conversion
- borrowing
Minor word formation processes
- back-formation
- blending
- clipping
- reduplication
- acronymy
What does it mean transparent?
The word is clearly analysable into constituent elements (morphemes) # cover/age
Opaque means
Not clearly transparent, dividable words into morphemes # carriage-> carry-> ege
Root is
Without derivational and inflectional affixes # un/believ/able
Steam is
With derivational morphemes but without inflectional morphemes # teacher/s
Process of new word formation
Nonsense formation
Institutionalisation
Lexicolisation
Types of lexicolosation
Phonological ( stress shift)
Morphological (productive/ unproductive)
Semantic (meaning shift-> playboy)
Syntactic ( disbelieve-> different use in different contexts)
Factors of acceptance of a newness
- status of user
- prestige
- effect( exploited by the media)
- lack of knowledge
Lexicolisation is
When lexeme takes on a form that it couldn’t have if it was created through regular formation processes. Productive rules aren’t applied.
Types of defining methods in dictionaries
- analytical ( categorisation and then defining #furniture: table how it differs from other furniture)
- typifying (typical use or inhabitance, typical behavior)
- substitutional (use synonyms)
- exemplifying (use in context)
- simplifying
Secondary noun
Derived noun from the first noun # child- childhood
Derivation by “zero”
Conversion, no root change, but we create different word class # work- to work ( need of context)
Word root
Meaningful independent part of the word that can exist on its own without any inflectional derivations
Word-base is
Immediate independent part of the word without adding last affix # un/happi/ness- happi-is root, happiness is word-base
” reversed” derivation is
Back-formation. The word is usually longer before derivational process. Deletion of an affix #housekeeper- housekeep
Conversion is
Process where item changes word-class without the addition of an affix. Any lexeme can undergo conversion into any open class. Reason is language economy. The only type of conversion in Czech is deadjectival.
Derivational dependence
The item that existed first will have a longer head-word
Semantic dependence
Noun to a verb, because noun has more meanings than a verb
Phrase
Constructive unit of higher semantic and syntactic structure
Recursiveness
The way sentence can contain supplementary information, which adds further explanation
Syntactic group vs compound
Syntactic group differs from compound by meaning, stress and spelling. Syntactic group it's two words that were putted together accidentally and every word has own meaning, however compound is a fixed phrase and meaning shift # black bird- a blackbird, dark room- a darkroom
Endocentric compounds
Consist of a head (basic meaning container)
+modifier ( meaning restricter)
Exocentric compounds
Hyponyms of unexpressed semantic head ( person, animal...). Meaning cannot be guessed from constituent parts #white-collar, flight attendant
Copulative compounds
Have two semantic heads #sleepwalk, bittersweet
Appositional compounds
Two contrary attributes #actor-director, maidservant
Reduplicatives
Two or more constituents that are similar or identical. Usually made to achieve prosody, used in advertisement, imitate sounds, movements. # tick-tock, seesaw, tip-top
Clippings
Shortened polysyllabic words with independent stress pattern+ informal spelling, semantically restricted( not in contexts can be used) #showbiz, flu,exam,phone,pub
Acronyms
Words from initial letters #bbc- British Broadcasting Corporation
Blends
Blending one word with another #lubritection, swimsation
Semasiological approach
From form to meaning
One word has several meanings. We focus on polysemy and homonymy mainly
Onomasiological approach
We start from meaning and you are looking for the different forms that meaning can take in language. We focus on synonymy, antonymy, hyponymy
Semiotics studies
Any sign system that is used for communication. It could be traffic signs, gestures, body language, facial expressions, sign language
Pragmatics studies
How user in context uses words and what meaning raises. Mainly study what we don’t say but mean
Seme is
concrete realisation when one particular meaning choose and use the lexeme in a sentence
Seme of a chair, it can be anything that can chair mean:
-piece of furniture
-function or position
Lexical semantics and paradigmatic relations focuses on
Homonymy, polysemy, synonymy, antonymy, hypo/hyperonymy
Syntagmatic relations focus on
Collocational ranges, fixed expressions
