Chapter4-1wordformation..ppt

Chapter 4 Word-formation Contents: Some basic concepts of word-formation Root, stem and base Affixation Prefixation Suffixation 4.1 Some basic concepts of word-formation Root Stem Base Example: ‘undesirables’: un desire able s Root: desire, suffix: -able, prefix: un-, and the inflectional affix:-s - ‘greenhouse’ 4.1.2 Stem (词干) : A ~ is of concern only when dealing with inflectional morphology. Inflectional affixes can be added to it. Examples: ‘undesirables’ Stem: undesirable ‘desired’ Stem: desire ‘greenhouse’ Stem: greenhouse Forms of a stem A stem may consist of a single root morpheme, or of 2 or more root morphemes. 4.1.3 Base (词基) : A base is any form to which affixes of any kind can be added. Differences between base and root Base can be a derivationally analyzable form to which derivational affixes are added. Examples: ‘desirable’ Base: desire; suffix: -able ‘desire’ is also a root: not further analyzable. un+desirable: desirable is the base, not a root or a stem. Differences between base and stem Both derivational and inflectional affixes can be attached to a base; Figure (2) derivational prefix analyzable base un desirable Figure (3) stem inflectional (or base) suffix undesirable s Figure (4) root, stem or base inflectional suffix desire d Introduction Means to form words: Most productive (major means): Affixation (词缀法)(30% -40%) Compounding (复合法)(28%-30%) Conversion(转类法) (26% ) Other minor means Acronymy (首字母拼音法) Blending (拼缀法) Clipping (剪缩法,截短法) Back-formation (逆生法) Reduplication (语音重叠法) Words from proper names (专有名词转化的词) 4.2 Affixation/derivation (词缀法) the formation of words by which new words are created by adding a prefix, or suffix, or both , to the