WORD FORMATION

Review
Morphemes = a meaningful linguistic unit
that can't be divided into smaller meaningful
parts
Bound and Free Morphemes
Stem = the form of awordbefore any
affixes
Prefixes and Suffixes
Compound words formed by Juxtaposition
(two or more free morphemes)

Other ways of Forming Words

BLENDS
A word formed by merging the sounds
and meanings of two or more other
words or word parts.
smoke + fog = smog
emote + icon = emoticon
situation + comedy = sitcom
work + alcoholic = workaholic
breakfast + lunch = brunch

Other ways of Forming Words

ACRONYMS
A word formed from the initial letters of a
name
AIDS = Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
LASER = Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission
of
Radiation
VIP = Very Important Person
PIN = Personal Identification Number
RAP = Rhythm and Poetry
SCUBA -Self-ContainedUnderwaterBreathingApparatus

Other ways of Forming Words

CLIPPING
a word formed by dropping one or
moresyllables from a polysyllabic
word.
cellfromcellular phone
gym from gymnasium
exam from examination
fridge from refrigerator
flu from influenza

Other ways of Forming Words

EPONYMY: Words from Names

jumbo = an unusually large person, animal,
or thing
(afterJumbo, the first elephant to reach
Europe alive 1860)
nicotine (after French diplomat Jean Nicot
(1530 - 1600), who introduced tobacco into
France)
scrooge = stingy person.
(after Ebenezer Scrooge, the miserly old-man
inA Christmas Carolby Charles Dickens.)

Other ways of Forming Words

BORROWING
murder / fiance/ rsum French
bagel Yiddish
pizza Italian

Explain the formation of the underlined

words:
1- When I drove to Boston I slept in a nice motel.
word formed by blending of the words motor + hotel
2- Ted is a wasp, isnt he?
acronym of White Anglo Saxon American Protestant
3- Im not hungry. Ive just had a sandwich.
named after John Montagu, Fourth Earl of Sandwich (1718 1792)
4- Please, answer the phone for me, Jim!
word formed by clipping from the word telephone
5- Pat is still in Kindergarten. She is very young.
word borrowed from German.

EXERCISES

1. We have known each other since our (child)

childhood
child (noun) + hood (suffix) = noun
2. We need to know your.as soon as possible.
(decide)
decision
decide (verb) + ion (suffix) = noun
3. Ann looks so sad! I guess shes very . (happy)
unhappy
un (prefix) + happy (adjective) = adjective
4. He is stupid and often talks . (sense)
nonsense
non (prefix) + sense (noun) = noun

EXERCISES

5. He was absent from school because he was

(well)
unwell
un (prefix) + well (adverb) = adverb
6. Mary speaks English .. (fluent)
fluently
fluent (adjective) + ly (suffix) = adverb
7. Im sure that our . will last forever. (friend)
friendship
friend (noun) + ship (suffix) = noun
8. His hard work him to pass his examination.
(able)
enables
en (prefix) + able (adjective) + s (suffix) = verb

EXERCISES

9- My new car is very . (comfort)

comfortable
comfort (noun) + able (suffix) = adjective
10-Did you use to have as a child?(allow)
allowance
allow (verb) + ance (suffix) = noun
11. She used to be the .. girl in the
school.(pretty)
prettiest
pretty (adjective) + est (suffix) = adjective
12. Can you ..... me? I dont know what he means.
(light)
enlighten
en(prefix) + light (noun) + en (suffix) = verb

EXERCISES

13. I.think that there's no point in arguing

with him. Just ignore him.(honest)
honestly
honest (adjective) + ly (suffix) = adverb
14/ 15. The mayor wants to the city. It will
look very .. (beauty)
beautify / beautiful
beauty (noun) + ify (suffix) = verb
beauty (noun) + ful (suffix) = adjective
16. Sarah dances .. (beauty)
beautifully
beauty (noun) + ful (suffix) = adjective + ly
(suffix) = adverb