WORD FORMATION

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

Prefixes Suffixes
We add prefixes before the base or stem of a We add suffixes after the base or stem of a word.
word. The main purpose of a suffix is to show what class
of word it is (e.g. noun or adjective).
Prefixes Examples Suffixes Examples

-ism and -dom are used terrorism, sexism

mono- means 'one' monorail, to form nouns
monolingual

-er and -or are used to employer, actor

form nouns to describe
multi- means 'many' multipurpose, people who do things
multicultural

-en and -ify are used to widen, simplify

form verbs
post- means 'after' post-war,
postgraduate
-able is used to form reasonable,
adjectives unprofitable

un- means 'not' or unusual,

'opposite to' undemocratic -ly is a common suffix unhappily, naturally
used to form adverbs

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:
Compounding
When we use compounding, we link together
two or more bases to create a new word.
Normally, the first item identifies a key feature
of the second word.

Nouns backache, postcard

Example Conversion

verb from noun

Can you text her?
'text' Adjectives heartbreaking, sugar-
free
They are always jetting verb from noun
somewhere. 'jet'
Verbs oven-bake, babysit
If you’re not careful, some
downloads can damage
your computer.
Adverbs good-naturedly,
All companies have their ups nevertheless
and downs.
 WORD FORMATION
Abbreviation
Abbreviation involves shortening a word. We do this in three main ways: clipping,
acronyms and blends.

Clipping:
ad: advertisement, advert Acronyms: RAM: random access
When we shorten
a type of abbreviation formed when
or ‘clip’ one or
the initial letters of two or more
memory
more syllables
words are combined in a way that
from a word. We lab: laboratory
produces consonant and vowel
also commonly
sequences found in words. RADAR: Radio Detection
clip proper
Acronyms are normally
names for Matt: Matthew pronounced as words:
and Ranging.
people:

blog: web + log WHO: World Health

Blending: Organisation, pronounced
Initials: W–H–O
When we combine parts of motel: are similar to acronyms but are
existing words to form a
motor + hotel pronounced as sets of letters, not as
CD: compact disc,
new word:
words:
smog:
pronounced C–D

Back-formation
We form words with back-formation when we remove part of a word, usually something
which we think is a suffix (or occasionally a prefix). We do this commonly when we form
verbs from nouns.

to liaise (back-formed from the noun liaison)

to intuit (back-formed from the noun intuition)

When a word undergoes the
back-formation process, a new
meaning is created.
to enthuse (back-formed from the noun enthusiasm)

to edit (back-formed from the noun ______)