Word-building

elements

free M=free
root
morphaffix
eme
bound
M
root

inf. A
prefix
der. A
suffix

Word-building elements

Basic statistics

Zeiger: Encyclopedia of English 1979)

Total: 647 (roots, affixes)
Roots: 359 (all from Latin and Greek
except 15)
Affixes: 288 (prefixes: 107 suffixes:
181)
123 from Latin and Greek, 43% 64%
59 from Anglo-Saxon,
21%

3. 1 Affixation

What is affixation?
affixes + bases = new words
the process of making new words by
adding affixes to bases
affixes = prefix + suffix
Characteristics:
Prefixes change meaning
Suffixes change part of speech

Prefixation

Definition:
prefix + base = new word
Process of making new words by
adding prefixes to bases
Classification:
Prefixes are classified according to
meaning.

Prefixation

Classes of prefixes: 9
1. Negative prefixes: 5
a-, dis- in-(il-,ir-,im-), non-, un- =
,,,
amoral
immoral
inability
disability
disinterested ( )
uninterested
illogical but disloyal

Prefixation

2. Reversative prefixes: 3
de-, dis-, un- = reverse the action
disunite
unwrap
decentralize

Prefixation

3. Pejorative prefixes: 3
mal-, mis-, pseudo- = bad, badly,
wrong
maltreatment

misuse
pseudo-science

Prefixation

4. Prefixes of degree or size: 15

arch-, hyper-, ultra-: (unusual)
Pair of synonym
extra-, super-: extra-large, superman
mini-, micro: mini-cinema, microscope
out-, sur-: outlive, surpass

Prefixation

4. Prefixes of degree or size: 15

arch-, hyper-, ultra-: (unusual)

Pair of antonyms

macro-, micro-: macrocosm, microcosm

under-, over-: underestimate, overestimate
super-, sub-: superstructure, sub-culture

Prefixation

5. Prefixes of orientation and

attitude:4
anti-, contra-, counter-, proanti-: anti-violence
counter-: counter-violence
contra-: contra-flow
pro-: pro-democratic

Prefixation

6. Locative prefixes: 6
extra-, fore-, inter-, intra-, tele-, transextra- = outside: extra-curriculum
fore- = front: forehead
inter- = between:
intra- = within: intra-linguistic
tele- = far
trans- = over, across: trans-Atlantic

Prefixation

7. Prefixes of time and order: 4

ex(former)
post(after)
pre(before)
re(again)
pre-, post-: pre-war, post-war (adj)
ex-: ex-president
re-: reorganize

Prefixation

8. Number prefixes: 8
uni-(mono-): unicycle
bi- :
bicycle
tri- :
tricycle
semi-(hemi-): hemisphere
multi-(poly-) : multi-national

Prefixation

9. Miscellaneous prefixes: 4
auto-: auto-biography
neo-: neo-classicism
pan-: pan-African
vice-: vice-chair

Prefixation

Highly productive prefixes: 4

de-: negate, reverse, remove
depenalize, defocus, depoliticize
defrost, defog, defeather, depost,
deschool (abolish traditional schools)
devalue (lessen the value of),
deplane, detrain (get off)

Prefixation

non-: (to nouns, adjectives, adverbs)

not, not important, of little
value,
not traditional
non-scientific, non-musician, nonadditive
non-book, non-novel
non-friend, non-hero

Prefixation

anti-:
1. against, preventing
anti-crime, anti-fat, anti-noise
2. against traditional characteristics
anti-art, anti-music, anti-novelist,
antitheatre

Prefixation

Example:
In my happier nightmare," he adds, "I
see myself attending an anti-play with
an anti-audience after a
dinner prepared by an anti-cook."

Prefixation

mini-: very small

mini-crisis
mini-war
mini-election
mini-boom
mini-lecture
mini-bikini
mini-by-pass
minibus

Suffixation

Definition:
suffix + base = new word
Process of making new words by
adding suffixes to basis
Characteristics of suffix:
Changing part of speech
Classification according to part of
speech

Suffixation

1. Noun suffixes

1) De-nominal nouns = changing

nouns into new nouns
-eer, -ster, -er, -ess, -ette, -let,
profiteer, gangster, trickster
teenager, hostess,
cigarette, booklet,
concrete nouns

Suffixation

-age, -dom, -ery (-ry), -ful, -hood, -ing,

-ism, -ship
wastage, officialdom, slavery,
mouthful, adulthood, farming,
terrorism, sportsmanship
He is working. working people
farming
abstract nouns

Suffixation

2) Deverbal nouns = changing verbs into

N
Concrete: -ant, -ee, -ent, -er(-or)
informant, trainee, respondent
Abstract: -age, -al, -ance, -ation (-ition,
-tion, -sion, -ion), -ence, -ing, -ment
marriage, dismissal, attendance,
protection, decision, existence, tubing,
judgement

Suffixation

3) De-adjective nouns: -ity, -ness

- ive:
produc`tivity,
sensitivity
-ar: popu`larity, familiarity
- al: mo`rality, generality
- able/-ible:
ability, responsi`bility

Suffixation

4) Noun and adjective suffixes =

making
new nouns and adjectives
-ese, -an, -ist,
Chinese; Australian, socialist

Suffixation

2 Adjective suffixes
1) De-nominal suffixes= changing N into adj
-ed, -ful, -ish, -less, -like, -ly, -y
simple-minded, successful, childish,
priceless
-ly: (to) father, mother, brother, sister,
daughter, man, woman
-y: (to) cream, rain, sun, wind, winter,
sand, hill, hair, water

Suffixation

-al (-ial, -ical): cultural, philosophical

-ic
-ous (-eous, -ious): famous,
courageous
-esque: picturesque

Suffixation

-ic
-ical
classic classical
comic comical
historic
historical

economic economical
electric electrical

Suffixation

2) De-verbal suffixes (added to verbs):

-ive (-ative, -sive)
active, decisive
-able (-ible, -uble)

Suffixation

-uble

-able

-ible

solve,
resolve

educate, operate,
penetrate, violate,
cultivate, calculate,
communicate,
navigate

sense, corrupt,
irresist, divide,
defend

soluble,
resoluble

educable, operable,
penetrable, violable,
cultivable,
calculable,
communicable,
navigable

sensible,
corruptible,
credible,
irresistible,

divisible,
defensible

Suffixation

3. Adverb suffixes
-ly, -ward(s), -wise
- ward(s): (to)
in, out, up, down, back, fore, side,
sky,
earth, east, west, north, south
- wise: (to) (as far as is concerned)
budget, time, money, security,
economy, life, weather

Suffixation

4. Verb suffixes
-ate, -en, -(i)fy, -ize(-ise)
originate, darken, strengthen,
solidify,
beautify, modernize,
symbolize

Suffixation

Vogue suffixes: 3
-nik = a person who becomes a
member
of; devoted to
folknik, peacenik, jazznik,
protestnik,
city-nik, good-willnik

Suffixation

-ese = style of; the

Afro-Americanese
Americanese
cablese
childrenese
computerese
educationese
golfese

characteristics of

Suffixation

guide-bookese
headlinese
jargonese
journalese
newspaperese
New Yorkese
novelese

Suffixation

officialese
sociologese
telegraphese
Washingtonese
officialese
sociologese
telegraphese

Suffixation

Washingtonese
Carlylese
Johnsonese
Macaulayese
Meredithese
Nabokovese
Ruskinese

Suffixation

-ee: (to) transitive verbs to make a noun

which is the receiver of the action
appointee, employee
BUT
flirtee, kickee, kissee, laughee, huggee,
meetee, shavee, toastee, consultee,
visitee, slanderee, rushee, curee
absentee