英语简单的6种构词法

 英语构词通常包括六种方法：转化法、派生法、合成法、混合法、截短法和首尾字母结合法。

 

一、【派生法】
   英语构词法中在词根前面加前缀或在词根后面加后缀，从而构成一个与原单词意义相近或截然相反的新词的方法叫作派生法。
1.前缀
除少数英语前缀外，前缀一般改变单词的意义，不改变词性；英语后缀一般改变词类，而不引起词义的变化。
(1)表示否定意义的前缀常用的有dis-, il-, im-, in-, ir-, mis-, non-, un-等，在单词的前面加这类前缀常构成与该词意义相反的新词。例如：
agree同意→disagree不同意
fair公平的→unfair不公平的
possible可能的→impossible不可能的
understand理解→misunderstand误解
(2)表示其他意义的前缀常用的有a-(多构成表语形容词), anti- (反对；抵抗), auto- (自动), co- (共同), en- (使), inter- (互相), re- (再；又), sub- (下面的；次；小), tele- (强调距离)等。例如：
co-worker 同事，帮手
enlarge 使变大
cooperate 合作
rewrite 重写
subway 地铁
2.后缀
给单词加后缀也是英语构词的一种重要方法。后缀通常会改变单词的词性，构成意义相近的其他词性；少数后缀还会改变词义，变为与原来词义相反的新词。下面仅作简单介绍。
(1)构成名词的后缀常用的有-ence，-(e)r/ -or (从事某事的人),-ese (某地人)，-ess (雌性)，-ian (精通……的人)，-ist (专业人员)，-ment (性质；状态)，-ness (性质；状态)，-tion(动作；过程)等。例如：
differ不同于→difference区别
write写→writer作家
China中国→Chinese中国人
act表演→actress女演员
music音乐→musician音乐家
(2)构成动词的后缀常用的有-(e)n (多用于形容词之后)，-fy (使……化)，-ize (使……成为)。例如：
wide→widen加宽
beauty→beautify美化
pure→purify提纯
real→realize意识到
organ→organize组织
sharp→sharpen使变锋利
(3)构成形容词的后缀常用的有-al，-able (有能力的)，-(a)n(某国人的)，-en (多用于表示材料的名词后)，-ern (方向的)，-ese(某国人的)，-ful，-(ic)al，-ish，-ive，-less (表示否定)，-like (像……的)，-ly，-ous，-some，-y (表示天气)等。例如：
nature自然→natural自然的
reason道理→reasonable有道理的
America美国→American美国的
China中国→Chinese中国人的
gold金子→golden金的
east东→eastern东方的
child孩子→childish孩子气的
snow雪→snowy雪的
(4)构成副词的常用后缀有-ly (主要用于形容词之后表示方式或程度)，-ward(s) (主要用于表示方位的词之后表示方向)。例如：
angry生气的→angrily生气地
to到→towards朝……，向……
east东方→eastward向东
(5)构成数词的后缀有-teen (十几)，-ty (几十)，-th (构成序数词)。例如：
six六→sixteen十六→sixteenth第十六
four四→forty四十→fortieth第四十

 

二、【合成法】
英语构词法中把两个单词连在一起合成一个新词，前一个词修饰或限定后一个词，这样的方法就是合成法。
1.合成名词
          名词＋名词weekend周末
          名词＋动词daybreak黎明
          名词＋动名词handwriting书法
          名词＋及物动词＋er／or pain-killer止痛药
          名词＋介词＋名词sister-in-law嫂子
          代词＋名词she-wolf母狼
          动词＋名词typewriter打字机
           动名词＋名词reading-room阅览室
          现在分词＋名词flying-fish飞鱼
          形容词＋名词freshman大一新生
         副词＋动词outlook景色，风光
         介词＋名词afterbrain后脑
2.合成形容词
名词＋形容词bloodred血红的
名词＋现在分词French-speaking讲法语的
名词＋to＋名词one-to-one一对一的
名词＋过去分词man-made人造的
数词＋名词one-way单行道的
数词＋名词＋形容词three-year-old三岁的
数词＋名词＋ed ten-storeyed十层的
动词＋副词one-off 一次性的
形容词＋名词high-quality高质量的
形容词＋名词＋ed noble-minded高尚的
形容词＋形容词light-green浅绿色的
形容词＋现在分词ordinary-looking相貌一般的
副词＋形容词ever-green常青的
副词＋现在分词hard-working辛勤的
副词＋过去分词well-known著名的
副词＋名词fast-food专门提供快餐服务的
介词＋名词indoor室内的
3.合成动词
名词＋动词sleep-walk梦游
形容词＋动词white-wash粉刷
副词＋动词overwhelm压倒，制服
4.合成副词
形容词＋名词hotfoot匆忙地
形容词＋副词everywhere到处
副词＋副词however尽管如此
介词＋名词beforehand事先
介词＋副词forever永远
5.合成代词
代词宾格＋self herself 她自己
物主代词＋self myself 我自己
形容词＋名词anything 一切
6.合成介词
副词＋名词outside在……外面
介词＋副词within在……之内
副词＋介词into进入

三、【转化法】
英语构词法中把一种词性用作另一种词性而词形不变的方法叫作转化法，有的名词可以作动词，有的形容词可以作副词或动词。
1.动词转化为名词
1）意思没有变化，例如：I think we'd better finish the talk now.我想我们的谈话最好现在结束。
2）意思有一定变化，例如：He is a man of strong build.他是一个体格健壮的汉子。
3）构成短语，例如：Let's have a look first. 我们先看一下吧。
2.名词转化为动词
1）表示物体的，如：Have you booked the ticket?你订好票了吗?
2）表示身体部位的，如：Hand in your papers please.请把你们的试卷交上来。
3）表示一类人的，如：She nursed her husband back to health.她看护丈夫，使他恢复了健康。
4）抽象名词，如：We breakfasted together.我们在一起吃了早餐。
3.形容词转化为动词
少数形容词可以转化为动词。例如：We will try our best to better our living conditions.我们要尽力改善我们的生活状况。
4.副词转化为动词
有少数副词可以转化为动词。例如：Murder will out.恶事终必将败露。
5.形容词转化为名词
1）表示颜色的形容词常可转化为名词，如：
The girl in black appears very beautiful.那个穿黑衣服的女孩子看上去非常漂亮。
2）一些形容词如old, young, poor, rich, wounded, injured等与the连用，表示一类人，作主语时，谓语用复数，如：
We don't belong to the rich, but we dong't belong to the poor either. 我们不是有钱人，但我们也不是穷人。

四、【截短法(缩略法)】
将单词缩写，词义和词性保持不变的英语构词法称为截短法，主要有截头、去尾、截头去尾等形式。
1.截头
telephone→phone
airplane→plane
2.去尾
mathematics→maths
examination→exam
kilogram→kilo
laboratory→lab
taxicab→taxi
3.截头去尾
influenza→flu
refrigerator→fridge
prescription→script

五、【混合法(混成法)】
英语构词还可以将两个词混合或各取一部分紧缩而成一个新词，前半部分表属性，后半部分表主体。这样的英语构词法就是混合法。
news broadcast→newscast新闻广播
television broadcast→telecast电视播送
smoke and fog→smog烟雾
photo and graphy→photography摄影，摄影术
helicopter airport→heliport直升飞机场

六、【首尾字母缩略法】
用单词首尾字母组成一个新词的英语构词法叫做首尾字母缩略法。这种形式的英语构词生成的新词，读音主要有两种形式，即各字母分别读音；作为一个单词读音。
Testing of English as a Foreign Language→TOEFL托福
Teach English as a Foreign Language→TEFL
Teach English as a Second Language→TESL
Graduate Record Examination→GRE美国研究生入学考试

 

                           Word Formation

1．Affixation

  Affixation is the process of forming words by adding derivational affixes to stems. It is also called derivation. Words formed in this way are derivatives.

1) Prefixation      

  Prefixation is a way of forming new words by adding prefixes to stems. Usually, prefixes do not change the part of speech of a word. Their chief function is to modify its meaning, although there are exceptions. Prefixes can be divided, based on their meanings, into: negative prefixes, reversative prefixes, pejorative prefixes, prefixes of degree or size, locative prefixes, prefixes of time and order, number prefixes and miscelaneous prefixes.

2)Suffixation

  Suffixation is the process of forming new words by adding suffixes to the end of stems. The chief role of a suffix is not to modify the meaning of a stem, rather to change the grammatical function of a stem, though there are a few exceptions. Suffixes can be divided into noun suffixes, adjective suffixes, adverb suffixes and verb suffixes.

2．Compounding    

1) Definition

  Compounding is a process of word formation by which two or more stems are put together to make one word. The word formed in this way is called a compound  

2) Characteristics of compounds

(1)Phonetic feature

  The word stress of a compound usually falls on the first element, while in a free phrase, the second element is usually stressed. If a compound has two stresses, it is the first element that receives the primary stress.

(2)Semantic feature

  The meaning of a compound is a semantic unity, which,usually, is not the total sum of all the meanings of the constituent words in a compound.

(3) Grammatical feature

  A compound usually plays a single grammatical role in a sentence.  

3．Conversion  

1) Definition

  Conversion is the formation of new words by converting words of one part of speech to the words of another part of speech, without changes in morphological structures. Words created are new only in a grammatical sense.

2)Types of conversion

(1)Conversion to Nouns

                a.verb to noun

                b.adjective to noun

                c. miscellaneous conversion

(2)Conversion to Verbs                        

  a. noun to verb                  

  b. adjective to verb

  c. miscellaneous conversion

3)Semantic features of conversion

1)Verb to noun                    
The new words obtained through conversion are usually related to the original words in the following ways:

(1)state of mind or sensation

(2)event or activity

(3)result of the action

(4)doer of the action

(5)tool or instrument to do the action with

(6)place of the action

                        2)Noun to verb
                        (1)to put in or on N

                        (2)to give N or to provide with N

                        (3)to remove N from

                        (4)to do with N

                        (5)to be or act as n

                        (6)to make or change into N

                        (7)to send or go by N

4．Blending

1) Definition

  Blending is the formation of new words by combining parts of two words or a word plus a part of another word

2)Categories of Blending

(1)the first part of the first word + the last part of the second word:   botel: boat + hotel 汽艇游客旅馆

(2) the whole part of the first word + last part of the second word: lunarnaut: lunar + astronaut 登月宇航员

(3)the whole form of the second word + the first part of the first word: Eurasian: Europe + Asian 欧亚混血儿

(4)the first part of the first word + the first part of the second word: sitcom: situation + comedy 情景喜剧

5．Clipping

1) Definition

  Clipping is to shorten a long word by cutting a part off the original and use what has remained as a word.

2) Types of Clipping

(1)Front clipping: "phone" from telephone

(2)Back clipping: "ad" from advertisement

(3)Front and back clipping: "flu" from influenza        
(4)Phrase clipping: "pub" from public house

  6．Acronymy

1) Definition

  Acronymy is the process of forming new words by joining the initial letters of phrases.

2)Types of Acronymy

(1)Initialisms

  Initialisms are words pronounced letter by letter: VOA from Voice of America

(2)Acronyms

Acronyms are words formed from initial letters but pronounced as a normal word.

7．Backformation

  Back-formation is the opposite process of suffixation. It is the process of making a new word by dropping the supposed suffix: e.g. "burgle" from burglar.

8． New Words from Proper Names

1) Names of people
2)Names of places          
3)Names of books            
4)Tradenames

  When proper nouns are commonized, many of them have lost their original identity;the initial letter many not be capitalized. They can be combined with other morphemes to form words of other word classes. The commonized proper nouns are rich in cultural associations. They are stylistically vivid, expressive and thought-provoking.