2. Semi-Affixes

Some building materials may be advertised as fireproof. Certain technical devices are foolproof meaning that they are safe even in a fool’s hands. All these words, with–proof for the second component, stand between compounds and derived words in their characteristics. On the one hand, the second component seems to bear all the features of a stem and preserves certain semantic associations with the free formproof. On the other hand, the meaning of -proof in all the numerous words built on this pattern has become so generalized that it is certainly approaching that of a suffix.

The component -proof, standing between a stem and an affix, is regarded as a semi-affix.

Another example of semi-affix is -manin a vast group of English nouns denoting people:sportsman, gentleman, salesman, statesman, policeman, etc.

Semantically, the constituent -man in these words approaches the generalized meaning of such noun-forming suffixes as -er, -or, -ist (e.g.artist). It has moved so far in its meaning from the corresponding free formman, that such word-groups aswoman policeman or Mrs. Chairman are quite usual.

Other examples of semi-affixes are -land(e.g.Ireland, Scotland, fatherland), -like (e.g.ladylike (изящная)), businesslike, starlike, etc.), -worthy (e.g.seaworthy (мореходный), trustworthy (надёжный)).

3. Shortening (Contraction)

This comparatively new way of word-building has achieved a high degree of productivity nowadays, especially in American English.

Shortenings (or contracted/curtailed words) are produced in two different ways. The first is to make a new word from a syllable (rarer, two) of the original word. The latter may lose its beginning (as in phone made fromtelephone, fence fromdefence), its ending (as invac from vacation, ad from advertisement) or both the beginning and ending (as influ from influenza, fridge from refrigerator).

The second way of shortening is to make a new word from the initial letters of a word group: U.N.O.fromthe United Nations Organization, B.B.C. from the British Broadcasting Corporation, M.P. from Member of Parliament. This type is calledinitial shortenings. They are found not only among formal words, such as the ones above, but also among colloquialisms and slang. So,g. f. is a shortened word made from the compoundgirl-friend. The word, though, is ambiguous:g. f. is also forgrandfather.

It is commonly believed that the preference for shortenings can be explained by their brevity and is due to the ever-increasing tempo of modern life. Yet, confusion and ambiguousness are quite natural consequences of the modern overabundance of shortened words.

Both types of shortenings are characteristic of informal speech in general and of uncultivated speech particularly. The history of the American okay seems to be rather typical. Originally this initial shortening was spelt A.K. and was supposed to stand forall correct.

Here are some more examples of informal shortenings. Movie (frommoving-picture), specs (fromspectacles).

Undergraduates’ informal speech abounds in words of the type: exam, prof (from professor), lab, vac.