Word Formation In English
Word-formation in English by Ingo Plag
Universität Siegen
in press
Cambridge University Press
Series ‘Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics’
Draft version of September 27, 2002
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1
1. Basic concepts
1.1. What is a word?
4
4
1.2. Studying word-formation
12
1.3. Inflection and derivation
18
1.4. Summary
23
Further reading
23
Exercises
24
2. Studying complex words
2.1. Identifying morphemes
2.1.1. The morpheme as the minimal linguistic sign
25
25
25
2.1.2. Problems with the morpheme: the mapping of form and meaning
2.2. Allomorphy
33
2.3. Establishing word-formation rules
38
2.4. Multiple affixation
50
2.5. Summary
53
Further reading
54
Exercises
55
3. Productivity and the mental lexicon
1
27
551
3.1. Introduction: What is productivity?
551
3.2. Possible and actual words
561
3.3. Complex words in the lexicon
59
3.4. Measuring productivity
64
Pages 55-57 appear twice due to software-induced layout-alterations that occur when the word for
windows files are converted into PDF.
ii
3.5. Constraining productivity
73
3.5.1. Pragmatic restrictions
74
3.5.2. Structural restrictions
75
3.5.3. Blocking
79
3.6. Summary
84
Further reading
85
Exercises
85
4. Affixation
90
4.1. What is an affix?
90
4.2. How to investigate affixes: More on methodology
93
4.3. General properties of English affixation
98
4.4. Suffixes
109
4.4.1. Nominal suffixes
109
4.4.2. Verbal suffixes
116
4.4.3. Adjectival suffixes
118
4.4.4. Adverbial suffixes
123
4.5. Prefixes
123
4.6. Infixation
127
4.7. Summary
130
Further reading
131
Exercises
131
5. Derivation without affixation
5.1. Conversion
134
134
5.1.1. The directionality of conversion
135
5.1.2. Conversion or zero-affixation?
140
5.1.3. Conversion: Syntactic or morphological?
143
5.2. Prosodic morphology
145
5.2.1.
Universität Siegen
in press
Cambridge University Press
Series ‘Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics’
Draft version of September 27, 2002
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1
1. Basic concepts
1.1. What is a word?
4
4
1.2. Studying word-formation
12
1.3. Inflection and derivation
18
1.4. Summary
23
Further reading
23
Exercises
24
2. Studying complex words
2.1. Identifying morphemes
2.1.1. The morpheme as the minimal linguistic sign
25
25
25
2.1.2. Problems with the morpheme: the mapping of form and meaning
2.2. Allomorphy
33
2.3. Establishing word-formation rules
38
2.4. Multiple affixation
50
2.5. Summary
53
Further reading
54
Exercises
55
3. Productivity and the mental lexicon
1
27
551
3.1. Introduction: What is productivity?
551
3.2. Possible and actual words
561
3.3. Complex words in the lexicon
59
3.4. Measuring productivity
64
Pages 55-57 appear twice due to software-induced layout-alterations that occur when the word for
windows files are converted into PDF.
ii
3.5. Constraining productivity
73
3.5.1. Pragmatic restrictions
74
3.5.2. Structural restrictions
75
3.5.3. Blocking
79
3.6. Summary
84
Further reading
85
Exercises
85
4. Affixation
90
4.1. What is an affix?
90
4.2. How to investigate affixes: More on methodology
93
4.3. General properties of English affixation
98
4.4. Suffixes
109
4.4.1. Nominal suffixes
109
4.4.2. Verbal suffixes
116
4.4.3. Adjectival suffixes
118
4.4.4. Adverbial suffixes
123
4.5. Prefixes
123
4.6. Infixation
127
4.7. Summary
130
Further reading
131
Exercises
131
5. Derivation without affixation
5.1. Conversion
134
134
5.1.1. The directionality of conversion
135
5.1.2. Conversion or zero-affixation?
140
5.1.3. Conversion: Syntactic or morphological?
143
5.2. Prosodic morphology
145
5.2.1.