English language is immensely rich in vocabulary. And it is growing richer everyday by absorbing words from other languages and coinage ( formation of new words) by speakers and writers of English all over the world. Formation and Transformation of words lends beauty, variety and effectiveness to expression. We can say the same thing in many different ways by using a word as a Verb, Noun and Adjective. I was able to pass the test by hard work ( able = Adjective) Hard work gave me the ability to pass the test. ( ability = Noun) Hard work enabled me to pass the test. ( enabled = Verb) Transformation of words means converting a word into various Parts of Speech like changing a Noun into Verb, Adjective or Adverb etc. e.g Noun Verb Adjective Adverb beauty beautify beautiful beautifully Sometimes a word is transformed into an Antonym ( word of opposite meaning) e.g understand-----misunderstand possible--------impossible In most cases of Transformation, a Prefix or Suffix is added to the original word to make a new word. A Prefix means a letter or a group of letters added at the start of a word, e.g like----------alike able----------unable possible------impossible lead----------mislead A Suffix means a letter or a group of letters added at the end of a word e.g. kind---------kindness state---------statement real---------reality man---------manhood/mankind Sometimes the e at the end of a word is dropped before adding a Suffix. e.g write-------writing take--------taking approve----approval When a Verb ends in a Consonant, and there is a single Vowel before the Consonant, the Consonant is doubled before adding the Suffix ed or inge.g stop stopping stopped run running sit sitting This rule does not apply to some Verbs that end in en open opening opened happen happening happened When full is used as a Suffix, the last l is dropped, e.g help helpful respect respectful When a word ends in y , the y is replaced with i before adding ful e.g beauty beautiful plenty plentiful Use of Important Prefixes and Suffixes A) Prefixes 1. a ------------alike, alive, abate 2. ab-----------abnormal, aboriginal 3. ac-----------acclaim, acquit 4. ad-----------adjoin, adjudge 5. anti---------antisocial, anticlimax 6. be-----------belittle, befriend 7. bi------------bicycle, biannual 8. by-----------bypass, by-product 9. counter----counterpart, counter-attack 10. de-----------decode, defrost, defend 11. dis----------disbelieve, discharge, displease 12. en-----------enlarge, endanger, enlist 13. em----------empower, employ 14. ex-----------ex-principal, ex-president 15. extra-------extraordinary, extra-careful 16. im---------- impossible, immovable, impassable 17. in----------- inactive, insecure 18. inter------- internet, intercom 19. ir----------- irresponsible, irrelevant 20. non---------nonsense, non-existent 21. post---------post-paid, post-colonial, post-graduate 22. pre----------pre-budget, pre-paid, pre-natal 23. pro----------pro-people, pro-Islam 24. sub----------substandard, submerge 25. un-----------unpleasant, unfavourable, unconscious
B) Suffixes 1. ----able respectable, comfortable, serviceable 2. ----age postage, mileage, breakage 3. ----al verbal, survival, postal 4. ----ence confidence, absence, presence 5. ----ance compliance, assistance 6. ----ary budgetary, supplementary 7. ----ate doctorate, electorate 8. ----ative creative, initiative 9. ----ator creator, dictator, calculator 10. ----ee employee, selectee, refugee 11. ----en golden, wooden 12. ----er teacher, leader, reader 13. ----ful respectful, beautiful, awful 14. ----hood boyhood, childhood, manhood 15. ----ing reading, playing, walking 16. ----ion confession, discussion, suppression 17. ----ish childish, girlish, boyish 18. ----ism criticism, socialism, feminism 19. ----ist socialist, imperialist 20. ----ty/ity cruelty, reality, security 21. ----less careless, shameless, hopeless 22. ----ment settlement, statement, 23. ----ship dictatorship, scholarship 24. ----some quarrelsome, awesome 25. ----wise clockwise, otherwise, lengthwise Prefixes and Suffixes play a very important role in word formation. They are used in interchange of Parts of Speech like changing Nouns into Verbs, Adjectives or Adverbs and vice versa. They are also used in making Antonyms e.g able unable careful careless correct incorrect Suffixes are also used to change the Nouns of male gender into female e.g lion lioness hero heroine Suffixes are added to make Plural Nouns from Singular e.g book books box boxes leaf leaves story stories Compound Nouns are often used in modern English. They are formed by combining two Nouns to give a single meaning e.g teacup schoolmaster headmaster bank manager civil judge water cooler
Besides the use of the methods of word formation given above, new words are always pouring in through adoption of words from other languages and coinage by writers.