The basic ways of word formation. Modern word formation

The vocabulary of any language is constantly expanding due to new lexical units. Word-building is the main way to replenish it. This process has its own characteristics and types. The basic ways of word formation are individual for each specific language. It depends on the structure, characteristics and compatibility of parts of speech.

The concept of

By word formation is understood the emergence of new lexical units by means of suffixation, prefixation, and also other techniques. A person who knows the ways of word formation in languages can quickly replenish his lexical stock, and also read and understand phrases without having to use a dictionary.

There are several classifications of word formation methods. Some linguists use the concept of synchrony and diachrony for typologizing, but the most common option is the distribution of this process to morphemic and non-morphogenic subspecies. Classification also depends on the language where word formation takes place. The table below illustrates the features of this process for the Russian language.

Each subspecies has its own characteristics and characteristics.

Word formation with the help of morphemes

Morphemic way is characterized by the fact that new words in the language appear due to the use of already existing lexical units and specific affixes. This type has its basic ways of word formation:

• The suffix.
• Prefix.
• Different combinations of prefix, suffix and postfix types.
• Addition.
• Abbreviation.

Each variant has distinctive characteristics, features and certain rules of education.

Suffix type

The main way of word formation for the Russian language is the process of suffixation. In this case, new lexical units appear by adding to the basis of the word suffix word formation type. For example, learn, teacher. Suffixation covers almost all parts of speech, but the most common word formation is nouns, adverbs and adjectives.

This process is accompanied by a variety of morphemic changes, which are divided into several subspecies:

• Alternation of morphemes: friend - be friends (Ms).
• Truncation of the producing morpheme: high - height.
• The imposition of several morphemes: pink - pinkish.
• Change of stress: green - greens.

This is not a complete list of changes that word formation can lead to. The suffixes also affect other morphemic characteristics. The level of change depends on the specific language.

Prefix type

If a new word is formed by adding an appropriate prefix to the base, then it is a process of prefixation. Unlike the suffix, the prefix usually forms new lexical units within one part of the speech. For the Russian language, the traditional way of this method is the word-formation of verbs. For example: cook - prepare - prepare; Write - sign - unsubscribe, etc.

Despite the sufficient prevalence of this type, most often prefixation is used in parallel with other types of word formation. Quite often this is suffixation, postfixation, etc.

Combination of suffixing, prefixing and postfixation

Modern word formation is characterized by the presence of words with simultaneous use of suffixation, prefixation and other similar variants, as well as a variety of their combinations. The following methods are distinguished in Russian:

• Prefix-suffix. A new word is formed simultaneously with the help of a prefix and a suffix. For example, the road is plantain; The border is foreign.
• Postfixical. The emergence of a new word by adding postfix: -sa, -or-, -so, -a, etc. For example, who - anyone - anyone.
• Prefix-postfix. In this case, a new word is formed using a prefix and a postfix at the same time. Most often, such a variant is present in the same part of the speech. Accordingly, in this way, the word formation of adjectives, nouns, verbs, etc. is possible. For example, to call - to call; Sleep - get enough sleep, etc.
• Suffix-postfix. The word appears simultaneously with the help of suffix and postfix. For example, fuss - fuss; The crowd is crowded. Word formation of verbs is the only sphere in the Russian language where this method is used.
• Prefix-suffix-postfix. This variant is characterized by the formation of a new word with the help of simultaneous suffixation, prefixation and postfixation. For example, whisper - whisper; Talk - talk.

These types of word formation are very active not only in Russian, but also in many other languages.

Addition

Quite common for the Russian language is the presence of addition as a way of word formation. In this case, the new lexical unit appears as a result of combining two or more separate words into one whole. Depending on which words are combined and in what way, the following basic ways of word formation are distinguished by addition:

• Foundation. New lexical units appear after the addition of two or more words with the application of the interfix. The main component is the last component of the combination. For example, fertilize, everyday, etc.
• Addition of two or more words, which is characterized by the presence of meaningful equality. For example, a sofa bed, a prime minister, etc.

Addition is actively used in Russian and other languages and is often responsible for the word formation of nouns and verbs.

Abbreviation

The method of formation, which is the construction of new tokens by splicing parts of other words, is called abbreviation. Depending on the method of combination and features of the parts of the word used, the following abbreviations are distinguished:

• Initsialnaya. In this case, new words appear by using separate sounds or letters. Accordingly, the initial abbreviation can be sound (for example, MKhAT, high school) or alphabetic (for example, UFO, CIS, etc.).
• Syllable. This type involves the use of separate parts of different words (for example, department store, trade union committee, etc.).
• Mixed. This type is a combination of the initial part of one lexical unit and the other unit completely (for example, salary, trade union, etc.).

The abbreviation is especially relevant in modern lexicology, as there is a worldwide trend towards ensuring maximum accuracy and shortness of the language.

Nemorfemnye word formation

As for the construction of new lexical units without the use of morphemes, the following basic ways of word formation are distinguished:

• Lexico-syntactic.
• Morphological and syntactic.
• Lexico-semantic.

In such cases new words appear due to the transition of one part of speech to another, the splicing or dismemberment of the lexical meaning of the word into separate components.

The lexico-syntactic method

This option is also called merging, because new words in this case are formed by merging a specific phrase. This leads to the fact that not only the lexical meaning of the word changes, but also its syntactic role. For example, forever green - evergreen: crazy - crazy, etc.

Most often the dependent lexical unit is the adverb, and the fusion itself is often the word-formation of adjectives or participles. From synonyms, such lexical units differ in that they have an accent and a strict order of arrangement of all their parts.

Morphological-syntactic method

This option is characterized by the formation of new words by the transition of one part of speech to another. There are the following subspecies of this method:

• Substantivation. The transition of one part of speech into a noun. For example, a leading specialist and host show, a wounded fighter and a silent wounded, etc.
• Adjectivation. The transition of parts of speech into an adjective. For example, a novice singer, a painted table, etc.
• Adverbialization. The transition of a noun into an adverb. For example, in the winter morning - come in the morning.

There are also other variants of the morphological-syntactic method. Each language has its own characteristics, variants of compatibility and distinctive features.

The lexico-semantic method

In this case, new lexical units appear after a particular word splits its base value and receives additional ones. For example, a satellite - as a companion and as a heavenly body; Titanium - the mythical giant and metal and many others. Thus, the composition of the vocabulary of the language varies due to the variation of the semantics of the word.

For word-formation in a similar way, certain conditions and the similarity of two phenomena or objects are necessary. This often requires a fairly large amount of time.

Word formation in English

The construction of new words in the English language is done in many ways. Traditionally, linguists distinguish the word-formation and word-production as word formation in the English language. The table below illustrates this:

As for composing, this method is typical for the Russian language. Similarly, in English almost any part of speech is formed. For example, to blackmail, girlfriend, dark-blue, somebody, etc. Word production is characterized by the formation of some lexical units from others. This can be done by converting one part of the speech into another (answer-to answer), changing the place of stress (conflict-to conflict), alternating sounds (advice-to advise) or affixing using suffixes and prefixes. Combination and transition is the foundation that word formation in English has. The table shows this.

The main way to expand a dictionary is word formation, which has its own kinds, and also features, depending on the part of speech. The process of formation of new lexical units never stops and has its own distinctive features in different languages.