11. Derivational analysis of e words

Derivational analysis – word-formation analysis.The basic elementary units of the derivative structure of words are: derivational bases, derivational affixes and derivational patterns.

1.Derivational base – is a part of word to which a rule of word-formation is applied. Structurally derivational bases fall into three classes:

1) bases that coincide with morphological stems of different degrees of complexity, e.g. dutiful, dutifully; day-dream, to day-dream, daydreamer.

Derivationally the stems may be:

1. simple, which consist of only one, semantically non motivated constituent (pocket, motion, retain, horrible).

b) derived stems are semantically and structurally motivated, and are the results of the application of word-formation rules (girl – girlish, to weekend)

c) compound stems are always binary and semantically motivated (match-box, letter-writer)

2) bases that coincide with word-forms; e.g. paper-bound, unsmiling, This class of bases is confined to verbal word-forms - the present and the past participles.

3) bases that coincide with word-grоups of different degrees of stability, e ,g. second-rateness, This class is made of word-groups. Bases of this kind are most active with derivational affixes in the class of adjectives and nouns, e.g. blue-eyed,

2.Derivational affixes. Derivational affixes are ICs of numerous derivatives in all parts of speech. Derivational affixes possess two basic functions:

1) that of stem-building and 2) that of word-building. In most cases derivational affixes perform both functions simultaneously.

3.Derivational patterns: A derivational pattern is a regular meaningful arrangement, a structure that imposes rigid rules on the order and the nature of the derivational bases and affixes that may be brought together.

There are two types of DPs — structural that specify base classes and individual affixes, and structural-semantic that specify semantic peculiarities of bases and the individual meaning of the affix. DPs of different levels of generalisation signal: 1) the class of source unit that motivates the derivative and the direction of motivation between different classes of words; 2) the part of speech of the derivative; 3) the lexical sets and semantic features of derivatives.

12. Affixation in English

Affixation – is the formation of new words by adding derivative affixes to derivational bases.

Classification of affixes: 1. According to the number of words they create, all affixes may be classified into productive (un-, re-, -er) and non-productive (...., - hood); 2. From the point of view of their current participation in word-formation process, the derivational affixes are divided into active and non-active, or dead affixes (for- in forgive, forbid, forget); 3. From the point of view of their origin: native (-dom, -hood, over-) and borrowed (-able, -ist); 4. Synchronically all the affixes are divided into verbal, adj., adv., (womanly – quickly)

Affixation is subdivided into suffixation and prefixation. Prefixation is the formation of words with the help of prefixes. Prefixes may be classified on different principles. Diachronically distinction is made between prefixes of native and foreign origin.¹ Synchronically prefixes may be classified:

1. according to the class of words they preferably form. The majority of prefixes tend to function either in nominal parts of speech or in verbs

2. as to the type of lexical-grammatical character of the base they are added to.

3. semantically prefixes fall into mono- and polysemantic.

4. as to the generic denotational meaning: negative (un-, non-, in-, dis-); reversative (un-, de-, dis-); perjorative (mis-, mal-, pseudo-); prefixes of time and order (fore-, pre-, post-, ex-); prefix of repetition (re-); locative prefixes (super-, sub-, inter-, trans-).

5. neutral stylistic reference (un-, out-, re-, under-) and those possessing quite a definite stylistic value, they have literary-bookish character (pseudo-, super-, ultra-).

6. prefixes may be also classified as to the degree of productivity into highly-productive, productive and non-productive.

Suffixation – is the formation of words with the help of suffixes. There are indentified from 60 to 130 suffixes. There are different classifications of suffixes:

1. The first principle of classification that, one might say, suggests itself is the part of speech formed:

Noun-suffixes (-er, -dom, -ness, -ation)

Adjective-suffixes (-able, -less, -ful, -ic, -ous)

Verb-suffixes (-en, -fy, -ise)

Adverb-suffixes (-ly, -ward)

2) Suffixes may also be classified into various groups according to the lexico-grammatical character of the base the affix is usually added to:

a) deverbal suffixes (those added to the verbal base), e.g. -er, -ing, -ment, -able, etc. (speaker, reading);

2. denominal suffixes (those added to the noun base), e.g. -less, -ish, -ful, -ist, -some, etc. (handless, childish);

3. de-adjectival suffixes (those affixed to the adjective base), e.g. -en, -ly, -ish, -ness, etc. (blacken, slowly).

3) A classification of suffixes may also be based on the criterion of sense expressed by a set of suffixes:

a) the agent of an action, e.g. -er, -ant (baker, dancer);

2. appurtenance, e.g. -an, -ian, -ese, etc. (Russian, Chinese, Japanese, etc.);

3. collectivity, e.g. -age, -dom, -ery (-ry), etc. (freightage, officialdom);

4. diminutiveness, e.g. -ie, -let, -ling, etc. (birdie, girlie, cloudlet).

4) From the angle of stylistic reference:

a) those characterised by neutral stylistic reference such as -able, -er, -ing, etc.;

2. those having a certain stylistic value such as -oid, -i/form, -aceous, -tron, etc.

5) Suffixes are also classified as to the degree of their productivity.