Introduction

Many words in English they come from a Latin language, so that they have the same root.
In this present work, we are going to deal with their formation process in which we are
going to see the many process of word formation, starting by its elementary form to process
that creates new words such as prefixation and suffixation.

Objectives

General objective
Understand the mains processes of word formation.

Specifics objective
Study about the words morphology;
Study about the processes of prefixation, suffixation, conversion and compounding.

1. Word formation
There are four main kinds of word formation: prefixes, suffixes, conversion and
compounds.

1.1.Morpheme
Definition:
A morpheme is the minimal linguistic sign, grammatical in which there is an arbitrary
union of a sound and a meaning that cannot be further analyzed.(Frankin,Fridman,1993)
There are two types of bound morphemes: derivational morphemes and inflectional
morphemes.
A single word may have one or more morphemes.
One morpheme

cat

Two morphemes

yellow + ish

Three morphemes

boy + ish + ness

Four morphemes

gentle + man + li + ness

1.1.1. Derivational morpheme

Definition:
In morphology, an affix that is added to a word to create a new word or a new form of a
word.
Derivational morpheme can change the grammatical category ( or part of speech) of word.
For example, adding ful to beauty

changes the word from a noun to an adjective

( beautiful). The form that results from de derivational morpheme is called a derived word
or a derivative.

1.1.2. Inflectional morpheme

Definition:
In English morphology, a suffix thats added to a word to a suffix that is added to a word to
assign a particular grammatical property to that word.
Inflectional morpheme serve as grammatical markers that indicate tense ,number,
possession, or comparison. Inflectional morphemes in English include the s ( or es);s
( s); -ed; -en; -er; -est; and ing.
e.g., Jonhs car.
Everest is the biggest mountain around the world.
1.2. Base
Definition:
The form of a word to which prefixes and suffixes are added to create new words. For
example, instruct is the base for forming instruction, instructor and reinstruct. Base forms
are words that are not derived from or made up of other words.
1.3. Root
Definition:
A root, as its name suggests, is a word or a part of word from which other words grow,
usually through the addiction of prefixes and suffixes. The root of the word vocabulary, for
example, is voc, a Latin root meaning word or name . This also appears in the words
advocacy, convocation, evocative, vocal and vociferous.
1.5. Affixation
In linguistics, the process of adding a morpheme (or affix) to a word to create either (a) a
different form of that word ( e.g.,birdbirds), or a new word with a different meaning
( birdbirder).
The two primary kinds of affixation are prefixation (the addiction of a prefix) and
suffixation (the addiction of a suffix).
4

1.5.1. Prefixes and suffixes

Words with a different grammatical form or meaning can be derived from a base word
using prefixes and suffixes. By understanding how these prefixes and suffixes work, it is
often easier to deal with unknown vocabulary. You can sometimes see what part of speech a
word is (verb, noun, adjective etc.), or additional information that a prefix may give.
1.5.1.1. Changes in grammatical form

The noun 'power' can be used as an adjective by adding the suffix ~ful (powerful). The
adverbial form is made by adding the suffix ~ly to the adjective (powerfully).
The verb 'to improve' becomes a noun by adding the suffix ~ment (improvement). The
same root word can also become a verb (improvise)
The noun 'nation' changes into an adjective with the suffix ~al (national), and by adding
another suffix ~ize the word changes from an adjective to a verb (nationalize)
The adjective 'special' can change to a verb (specialize) or a noun (speciality).
1.5.1.2. Changes in meaning

Prefixes and suffixes can also change the meaning of a word.

The meaning of 'possible' is reversed with the addition of the prefix im~ (impossible).
To 'overeat' means to eat too much and if food is undercooked, it is not cooked enough.
Some suffixes commonly denote an occupation.
e.g. The verb 'to teach' is transformed into the occupation with the suffix ~er (teacher).
Both grammatical changes and changes in meaning can be applied to the same base word.
e.g. The noun 'interest' can be made an adjective and given opposite meaning by adding a
prefix and a suffix ~un.~ing (uninteresting).

1.5.1.3. Changes in pronunciation.

When prefixes and suffixes are added to root words, the word stress sometimes changes.
Eg. Noun & verb: 'photograph'. Adjective: 'photographic'. Opposite: 'unphotographic'.
Person: 'photographer'.
In English the word stress is often on the third syllable from the end.
Overleaf is a list of the most common suffixes and prefixes and the grammatical and
meaning changes that they apply to root words.
1.5.2.Prefixes
1.5.2.1.What Are Prefixes?
Prefixes are first syllables like non- and re- that have their own meaning.
Prefixes combine with words to create new meanings.
1.Pre + View = Preview (first look)
2.Super + Star = Superstar (top player)
1.5.2.2.Why Learn Prefixes?
Prefixes add meaning to thousands of words.
Learn a few prefixes, and you open up the meaning of thousands of words.
The four most frequent prefixes are 97% of prefixed words!

1.5.2.3. Most Common Prefixes

Prefixes:
Negative & positive Size

Location

Time & order

Number

unnonindisre-

intersupertransexextraperi-

preanteforepost-

monobihexoctmulti-

semiminimicro-

1. Negative and positive prefixes:

Prefix
Meaning
Negative: unNot
inNot
imNot
ilNot
irNot
nonnot connected with
misbad, wrong
malbad, wrong
disopposite feeling
disopposite action
antiAgainst
dereduce, reverse
undertoo little
Positive:
redo again
overtoo much
Note:

Examples
Unmagnetized
Incomplete
Impossible
Ilegal
irregular, irrelevante
non-programmable
Misdirect
Malfunction
Disagree
Disconnect
antiglare, antistatic
demagnetize, decode
Underestimate
Reorganize
Overload

1.5.2.3.1.Negative Prefix List: Uses

De- is almost always used before a verb, or a word formed from that verb, and
means to reverse the verbs action, as in dehydrate, deregulate, or detoxify. (It has
other meanings in addition to making a verb negative. For example, it means 'down'
in decline, decrease, and depression.)

Dis- can be used with verbs, nouns, adjectives or adverbs. It also has other
meanings besides making words negative.

In-, non-, and un- are usually used for nouns, adjectives, or the adverbs formed
from them (though un- is also used for verbs.) They all mean not.

Mis- (often from Old English, or in some words from French) is used with verbs
(and adjectives and adverbs made from them), as well as nouns.

Non- usually means not, but also may mean lack of something.

In- often changes to 'il-' before l; 'im-' before b, m, or p; and 'ir-' before
r. These changes make it easier to pronounce.

Un- is the most common negative prefix in English. If in doubt, it's the best one to
try. Even many words originally from Latin roots are negated in English with 'un.'

2. Prefixes of size:
Prefix
Meaning
semihalf, partly
equiEqual
miniSmall
microvery small
macrolarge, great
megalarge, great

Examples
Semiconductor
Equidistante
Minicomputer
microcomputer, microscopic
Macroeconomics
Megabyte

3. Prefixes of location:
Prefix
Meaning
interbetween, among
superOver
transAcross
exOut
extraBeyond
subUnder
infraBelow

Examples
interface, interactive
Supersonic
transmit, transfer
exclude, extrinsic
Extraordinary
subschema, subtraction
infra-red
8

peri-

Around

peripheral, periscope

4. Prefixes of time and order:

Prefix
Meaning
anteBefore
preBefore
primeFirst
postAfter
retroBackward

Examples
Antecedente
prefix, preceding, precedente
primary, primitive
postdated, post-natal
retrograde, retroactive

5. Prefixes of numbers:
Prefix
Meaning
semiHalf
monoOne
biTwo
triThree
quadFour
pentaFive
hexSix
sept(em)Seven
octEight
decTem
multiMany

Examples
Semicircle
Monochromatic
Binary
Triangle
Quadruple
Pentagon
hexadecimal
September
Octal
Decimal
multiplexor, multicoloured

Other prefixes:
Prefix
Meaning
probefore, in advance, forward
autoSelf
cotogether with
contogether with

Examples
programme, progress, procreation
automatic
co-ordinate, co-operate
connect

1.5.3.Suffixes
1.5.3.1.What Are Suffixes?
Suffixes are last syllables like ed and ly that have their own meaning.
Suffixes combine with words to create new meanings.
9

1.Turn + ed = Turned (in the past)

2. Quick + ly = Quickly (how it turned)
1.5.3.2.Why Learn Suffixes?
Suffixes add meaning to thousands of words.
Learn a few Suffixes, and you open up the meaning of thousands of words.
The four most frequent suffixes are 97% of suffixed words!

1.5.3.3.Most Common Suffixes

Suffixes
Nouns
-ance
-ence
-or
-er
-ist

Verbs
-ize
-ate
-fy
-en
-ify

1. Noun-forming suffixes:
Suffix
Meaning
-ance
State
-ence
quality of
a
person
-er, -or
a thing which
-ist, -yst
a person who
-ian
pertaining to
-tion, -ation
the act of
-ness
condition of
-ion
action/state
-ing
Activity
-ment
state, action
-ity
state, quality

Adjectives
-able
-ible
-less
-ic
-ical
-ish
-ive

Adverbs
-ly

Examples
performance
independence
whoprogrammer,
operator,
biographer
compiler, accumulator, processor, calculator
analyst, typist
electrician
compilation
readiness, cleanliness, happiness
conversion
multiplexing
measurement, requirement
electricity
10

-ism
-dom
-ship

condition/state
domain/condition
condition/state

magnetism
freedom
relationship, partnership

2. Verb-forming suffixes:
Suffix
Meaning
-ize/-ise
-ate
-ify
-en

automate, activate, calculate

to make

simplify
harden, widen, lengthen, shorten

3. Adverb-forming suffix:
Suffix
Meaning
-ly

Examples
computerize

in the manner of

Examples
electronically, logically, comparably, slowly, quickly,
automatically, carefully

4. Adjective-forming suffixes:
Suffix
Meaning
-al
-ar
having the quality of
-ic
-ical
-able
capable of being
-ble
-ous
like, full of
-ful
characterized by
-less
Without
-ish
Like

Examples
computational, logical
circular, rectangular, cellular, regular
magnetic, automatic
Electrical
Comparable
Divisible
dangerous, insiduous, miraculous
helpful, careful
careless, meaningless
Yellowish

-ed

computed, processed

-ive

having the quality of

Interactive

5. Words ending in ing

Note that words ending in -ing are formed from verbs. The -ing form may be used as a noun,
part of a noun phrase, or part of a verb
11

1. Programming is an interesting job (noun)

2. Programming in C is interesting (part of a noun phrase)
3. He is working as a programmer (part of a verb)

1.6.Conversion
Conversion involves the change of a word from one word class to another. For example, the
verbs to email and to microwave are formed from the nouns email and microwave:
Can you text her? (verb from noun text, meaning to send a text-message)
They are always jetting somewhere. (verb from noun jet)
If youre not careful, some downloads can damage your computer. (noun from
verb download)
OK, so the meetings on Tuesday. Thats a definite. (noun from adjective)
Its a very big if and Im not at all sure we can afford it. (noun from conjunction, meaning
its not at all certain)
All companies have their ups and downs. (nouns from prepositions)
We also use conversion when we change a proper noun into a common noun:
Has anybody seen my Dickens? (copy of a book by Dickens)

1.7.Compound words
A compound word is two or more words linked together to produce a word with a new
meaning:
1. tooth + brush = toothbrush ;eco + friendly = eco-friendly ;animal + lover =
animal lover
We make compounds in all word classes:
12

nouns: car park, soap opera

adjectives: environmentallyfriendly,fat-free
verbs: daydream, dry-clean
adverbs: nevertheless, nowaday
s
1.7.1.Compound nouns

pronouns: anyone, everything,nobod

y
numerals: twenty-seven, threequarters
prepositions: into, onto
conjunctions: although, however

We usually make compound nouns with a noun + noun, with a verb (or a word made from
a verb) + noun, or with an adjective + noun:

noun + noun: earphones

verb -ing form + noun: parking

ticket

verb base form + noun: rescue adjective + noun: blackboard

team

The usual spoken stress pattern is with stress on the first item (earphones, blackboard).
In a compound noun, we can combine different elements. These include:
1. subject + verb: earache (an ear that aches), rainfall (rain that falls)
2. verb + subject: cleaning products (products that clean)
3. verb + object: know-all (person who thinks they know everything)
4. object + verb: shoe-polish (polishes shoes), dishwasher (washes dishes)

1.7.2.Compound adjectives
Compound adjectives most commonly end in an adjective (e.g. homesick), or in an -ing or
-ed adjective form (e.g. ground-breaking, short-sighted).

1.7.3.Compound verbs
13

Compound verbs are far less common than compound nouns or adjectives. They can be
made by making a verb from another word class, normally from an already existing
compound noun (e.g. a daydream to daydream).

1.7.4.Writing compound words

Sometimes compound words are written separately (nail polish), sometimes with a hyphen
(short-sighted) and sometimes as one word (eyelashes). Often new compounds are written
as two separate words and, as they become more familiar, they are either connected with a
hyphen (-) or made into one word.
There are some general rules and guidelines for when to use hyphens:

when there is a prefix (e.g. post-war, pre-lunch, self-interest, semi-skilled)

when a compound adjective comes before a head noun (e.g. a well-known singer,
an angry-sounding email)

when the pre-head item in a compound is a single capital letter (e.g.U-turn, Xray, D-day)

when words are difficult to recognise as compounds and could be confused

The band has decided to re-form. (form again)

The Government promise to reform the health system. (improve)

when compound adjectives containing numbers appear before a noun

A twenty-two-year-old cyclist won the race.

From here to Tokyo, thats a twelve-hour flight at least.
If youre not sure about whether to use a hyphen, a good dictionary will tell you.

1.7.5.Compound sentences
A compound sentence has two or more main clauses linked by coordinating conjunctions,
such as and, but:

14

e,g.,She did a nursing degree and she did really well,

[main clause 1]

[main clause 2]

but shes decided to study medicine now.

[main clause 3]

Conclusion
The knowledge of the words morphology or the rules of internal structure of words are
required to words formation, so that we talked about prefixation and suffixation or the
processes of addiction of a prefix and suffix to a base or root. We also dealt with conversion
and compounding that simultaneously processes of words classes changing and joining
words to form another one.

15

Bibliographic reference
1. Vitoria Frankin and Robert Rodman [An Introduction to Language], 4 th ed.,
1993 N.Y
2. http//:google.com/ online Cambridge dictionary

16

Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................... 1
Objectives........................................................................................................... 2
General objective.................................................................................................. 2
Specifics objective................................................................................................. 2
1.Word formation..................................................................................................... 3
1.1.Morpheme......................................................................................................... 3
1.1.1. Derivational morpheme...................................................................................... 3
1.1.2. Inflectional morpheme....................................................................................... 4
1.2. Base................................................................................................................ 4
1.3. Root............................................................................................................. 4
1.5. Affixation......................................................................................................... 4
1.5.1. Prefixes and suffixes......................................................................................... 5
1.5.1.1. Changes in grammatical form......................................................................5
1.5.1.2. Changes in meaning................................................................................... 5
1.5.2.Prefixes.......................................................................................................... 6
1.5.2.1.What Are Prefixes?.......................................................................................... 6
1.5.2.3. Most Common Prefixes............................................................................... 7
1.5.2.3.1.Negative Prefix List: Uses..........................................................................7
1.5.3.Suffixes....................................................................................................... 9
1.5.3.1.What Are Suffixes?......................................................................................... 9
1.5.3.3.Most Common Suffixes.............................................................................. 10
1.6.Conversion.................................................................................................. 12
1.7.Compound words.......................................................................................... 12
1.7.1.Compound nouns........................................................................................ 13
1.7.2.Compound adjectives......................................................................13
1.7.3.Compound verbs.......................................................................................... 13
1.7.4.Writing compound words............................................................................. 14
17

1.7.5.Compound sentences................................................................................... 14
Conclusion....................................................................................................... 15
Bibliographic reference....................................................................................... 16

18