Word Formation Processes PDF

**[WORD FORMATION PROCESSES]** The Word Formation Process is regarded as a branch of Morphology, and it has a significant role in expanding the vocabulary. This helps us to communicate very smoothly. The main objectives of the word formation process are to form new words with the same roots by depl...

**[WORD FORMATION PROCESSES]** The Word Formation Process is regarded as a branch of Morphology, and it has a significant role in expanding the vocabulary. This helps us to communicate very smoothly. The main objectives of the word formation process are to form new words with the same roots by deploying different rules or processes. In other words, you say that the word formation process is a process in which new words are formed by modifying the existing words or completely changing those words. Word formation also refers to the various ways in which new words are formed in a language. It is also a way in which new words are formed on the basis of other words or morphemes. **[TYPES OF WORD FORMATION PROCESSES]** **1. Affixation- This is the use of prefixes and suffixes to the base form of the word to form another word. As explained before, affixation is relevant when we understand the concept of morpheme. A morpheme is the smallest meaningful form of the language. A morpheme can be free or bound. It is free when it can stand alone and be meaningful without joining with another word. E.g. go, come, late, big etc. A morpheme is bound when it has to be joined with a root word to be meaningful or before its meaning could be realized. Examples include: un, in, ful, ness, pseudo etc. There are two types, Prefixation and suffixation.** **Prefixation- This is placing a bound morpheme at the beginning of a word to form another word. Examples;** **Pejorative- meaning false, wrong and bad. Examples: pseudo --intellectual, mis-inform, malfunction etc.** **Negative- opposite of positive. Examples: undo, non-existence, disfavour etc.** **Attitudinal -- meaning agreement/ disagreement. Examples: cooperate, pro-western, counter revolution, anti-social** **Class -- Examples; substandard, , hypersensitive** **Temporary- meaning situation and events Examples: postwar, postcolonial, pre-classical, prepositional etc.** **Number- unilateral, monosyllabic, bilingual, polygamy, multinational etc.** **Temporal /Locative Examples ex-wife, ex-president, etc.** **Locative Examples; inter-marry, subway, transcontinental, international etc.** **1b. Suffixation- This is when a bound morpheme is placed at the end of a word as in the case of 'able' and 'ion' 'in' etc.** **Examples- driver teacher,educationist, artist Nigerian, Chinese, booklet, kitchenette, hopelessness, manhood, sanctify colourful etc** **We have two types of affixation- i) inflectional -- when it does not change the class of the worde.g cats, boys passing, passed etc. ii) derivational -- when it changes the class of the word e.g. gas-gaseous , atom- atomic, propel- propellant ,science- scientific, serious-seriousness etc.** **2. [COMPOUNDING]**: It means creating a word by adding up two or more words of free morphemes with or without hyphenation. For example: Book + Case = Bookcase Sign + Post = Signpost Watch + Man = Watchman Not all compounds are written together. They make the use of hyphens to form a compound For Example; Ice + Cream = Ice-cream Traffic + Lights = Traffic-lights A no- nonsense --man The -- good --for-nothing-conductor **3.Conversion- This is a linguistic phenomenon where there is a change in the word class of a word based on its usage without addinga prefix or a suffix or changing the spelling of the word. The difference is just in the usage and the stress is the only indicator that determined the class of the word.** **First syllable stress Second syllable stress** **Record recCORD** **SUBject subJECT** **IMport import** **Refuse refuse** **CONtract contract** **Other examples in sentences are** **i) The Johnsons love their son \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-- The Johnsons have love for their son.** **ii) Peter is a good man.\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--Peter was asked to man the gate.** **iii) She is my mother's nurse.\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--She nurses my mother.** **[4. ABBREVIATION]**: This is another famous and widely used word formation method used to shorten a word or phrase. In the modern era, 'Abbreviation is becoming more popular. Here are some examples of abbreviation listed below **Phrases/words** Abbreviation ------------------- -------------- Junior Jr. Mister Mr. Mistress Miss. Doctor Dr. Department Dept Bachelor of Arts B.A. Master of Arts M.A. **[5. ACRONYMS]**: This is another popular word formation process in which the initials are pronounced as a word. It is formed from the first letter of each word in a phrase, and the newly formed letters create a new word that helps with speedy pronunciation. EXAMPLES: **ACRONYM WORDS** **PHRASES** ------------------- ----------------------------------------- PIN Personal Identification Number HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus ASAP As Soon As Possible LOL Laugh Out Loud COLENG College of Engineering COLNAS College of Natural and Applied Sciences AWOL Absent Without Leave 6.**[BACK FORMATION]**: This is a word-formation process that eliminates the actual derivational affix from the main form to create a new word. However, Back-formation is contrary to derivation in terms of forming new words. Let us see some examples of Back-formation in the below table: **BASE FORMS** **BACK FORMATION** ---------------- -------------------- Insertion Insert Donation Donate Ascension Ascend Obsession Obsess Resurrection Resurrect **[7.BLENDING]**: This involves taking part of two different words to make a new word, like merging two words based on the sounds of these words. This is extremely popular in the English language, and it produces hundreds of new words every year whose meanings are mixtures of the meanings of the original words. Here are some examples; **WORDS** BLENDINGS ------------------------ ----------- Breakfast + lunch Brunch Biographical + Picture Biopic Motor + Hotel Motel **[8.BORROWING]**: This is another word-formation process in which a word from one language is borrowed directly into another language. Lets us see some English words which are borrowed from another language: Algebra -- Arabic Brochure -- French Pizza -- Italian Tamale -- Spanish 9\. **Clipping-** This is a shortened tag of a longer word. Usually, in clipping a word of one or more syllables is shortened, with no disruption done to its structure and meaning. Such words are normally used in informal context to show familiarity between the user and the audience. Examples Fluenza\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--flu Refrigerator \-\-\-\-\--fridge Pianoforte \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--piano