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Formation of Words
The Formation of Words has few rules which determine the nature of the words formed thus.
Words can be classified into four types as follows:
1. Primary Words.
2. Compound Words
3. Primary Derivatives
4. Secondary Derivatives
Now, let us see how each type of word is formed.
1. Primary Words:
Words which are not derived or compounded or developed from other words are called Primary Words.
They belong to the original stocks of the words.
Examples:
Most of the words in English language are only Primary Words.
Moon, sun, day, night, month, school, boy, girl, road, write, go sit, walk, net, dash, dot, book, pin, he, she, it etc
A Primary Word may be of the type of noun, verb, adjective, pronoun, adverb etc
The Formation of Words has few rules which determine the nature of the words formed thus.
2. Compound Words:
The Compound Words are formed by joining two or more Primary Words.
Examples:
Moonlight, undertake, nevertheless, man-of-war, misunderstanding etc
This way the Compound Words are formed.
A Compound Word may be of the type of noun, verb, adjective, pronoun, adverb, conjunction, preposition etc
An addition to the beginning of a word is a Prefix.
An addition to the end of word is a Suffix.
Compound Words are the most part Nouns, Adjectives and Verbs
Now let us wee how the Compound Words of Nouns, Adjectives and Verbs are formed.
Compound Words-Nouns:
Compound Words-Nouns may be formed:
i. Noun + Noun:
Examples:
Moonlight
Armchair
Postman
Railway
Shoemaker
Windmill
Teaspoon
Haystack
Ringleader
Jailbird
Horse-power
Screwdriver
Tax-payer
Airman
Manservant
Fire-escape
Chess-board
ii. Adjective + Noun:
Examples:
Sweetheart
Nobleman
Shorthand
Blackboard
Quicksilver
Stronghold
Halfpenny
iii. Verb + Noun:
Examples:
Spendthrift
Makeshift
Breakfast
Telltale
Pick-packet
Cut-throat
Daredevil
Hangman
Scarecrow
The Formation of Words has few rules which determine the nature of the words formed thus.
iv. Gerund + Noun:
Examples:
Drawing-room
Writing-desk
Looking-glass
Walking-stick
Blotting-paper
Stepping-stone
Spelling-book
v. Adverb (or Preposition)+ Noun:
Examples:
Outlaw
Afternoon
Forethought
Foresight
Overcoat
Downfall
Afternoon
Bypass
Inmate
Inside
vi. Verb + Adverb:
Examples:
Drawback
Lock-up
Go-between
Die-hard
Send-off
vii. Adverb + Verb:
Knowledge of Formation of words will help you form your own words.
Examples:
Outset
Upkeep
Outcry
Income
Outcome
Compound Words-Adjectives:
i. Noun + Adjectives (or Participle):
Examples:
Blood-red
Sky-blue
Snow-white
Pitch-dark
Breast-high
Skin-deep
Lifelong
World-wide
Headstrong
Homesick
Stone-blind
Seasick
Love-lorn
Hand-made
Bed-ridden
Heart-broken
Moth-eaten
Note-worthy
Knowledge of Formation of words will help you form your own words.
ii. Adjective + Adjective:
Examples:
Red-hot
Blue-black
White-hot
Dull-grey
Lukewarm
iii. Adverb + Participle:
Examples:
Longsuffering
Everlasting
Never-ending
Thorough-bred
Well-deserved
Outspoken
Down-hearted
Inborn
Far-seen
iv. Noun + Verb:
Waylay
Backbite
Typewrite
Browbeat
Earmark
v. Adjective + Verb:
Examples:
Safeguard
Whitewash
Fulfill
vi. Adverb + Verb:
Examples:
Overthrow
Overtake
Foretell
Undertake
Undergo
Overhear
Overdo
Outbid
Outdo
Upset
Ill-use
The Formation of Words has few rules which determine the nature of the words formed thus.
NOTE:
In most Compound Words, it is the first word which modifies the meaning of the second word. The accent is placed upon the modifying word when the amalgamation is complete.When the two elements are only partially blended, a hyphen is put between the two words and the accent fall equally on both of them.
3. Primary Derivatives:
These words are formed by making some changes in the body of the Primary Words.
Bond from bind
Breach from break
Wrong from wring
NOTE:
The most important class of words formed by internal changes consists of the past tenses of the Primary Words. Those past tense-words are not treated as Derivatives.
i. Formation of Nouns from Verbs:
Examples:
Choice from choose
Bliss from bless
Chip from chop
Breach from break
Dole from deal
Dike from dig
Fleet from float
Doom from deem
Bier from bear
Watch from wake
Seat from sit
Gap from gape
Girth from gird
Grief from grieve
Woof from weave
ii. Formation of Nouns from Adjectives:
Examples:
Dolt from dull
Heat from hot
Pride from proud
iii. Formation of Adjectives from Verbs:
Examples:
Fleet from float
Low from lie
iv. Formation of Adjectives from Nouns:
Examples:
Milch from milk
Wise from wit
v. Formation of Verbs from Nouns:
Examples:
Bathe from bath
Bleed from blood
Believe from belief
Breathe from breath
Breed from brood
Clothe from cloth
Drip from drop
Feed from food
The Formation of Words has few rules which determine the nature of the words formed thus.
vi. Formation of Adjectives from Verbs:
Examples:
Cool from chill
Hale from heal
vii. Formation of Nouns from Verbs:
Examples:
Gold from gild
Grass from graze
Half from halve
Knot from knit
Sale from sell
Sooth from soothe
Tale from tell
Thief from thieve
Wreath from wreathe
4. Secondary Derivatives:
Secondary derivatives of a word are formed by adding either a prefix or a suffix to the word.
An addition to the beginning of a word is a Prefix.
An addition to the end of word is a Suffix.
Examples:
Income is a secondary derivative of the word word.
Here the addition in is a prefix.
Undergo is a secondary derivative of the word go.
Here the addition under is a prefix.
Friendship is a secondary derivative of the word friend.
Here the addition ship is a suffix.
Darkness is a secondary derivative of the word dark.
Here the addition ness is a suffix.
There are many prefixes and suffixes.
The Formation of Words has few rules which determine the nature of the words formed thus.
The complete lists of
PREFIXES
and
SUFFIXES
are in other pages.
Go to the 'Advanced English Index' to continue
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