Making New Words: Morphological Derivation in English
Making New Words: Morphological Derivation in English
Adjunct Professor and Deputy Director of the Language and Culture Centre
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Abstract
Making New Words provides a detailed study of roughly 200 prefixes and suffixes which create new words in today’s English. Alongside a systematic discussion of these forms, Professor Dixon explores and explains the hundreds of conundrums that seem to be exceptions to general rules: why do we say un-distinguished (with prefix un-) but in-distinguishable (with in-); why un-ceasing but in-cesssant? Why, alongside gold-en, do we say silver-y (not silver-en)? Why is it wood-en (not wood-ic) but metall-ic (not metall-en)? After short preliminary chapters, which outline the criteria employed, there are accounts of the derivation of negative words, of derivations which do not change word class, on making new verbs, new adjectives, new nouns, and new adverbs. The final chapter deals with combinations of suffixes, of prefixes, and of the two together. Within each chapter, derivational affixes are arranged in semantic groups and contrasted with respect to meaning and function; for example, child-less and child-free. For each affix there is an account of its genetic origin, its phonological form and implications for stress placement, the roots it can be attached to (and why), and how its range of meanings has developed. The book is clear and well-organized, with easy-to-understand explanations. The examples range from Shakespeare and W. S. Gilbert to modern novels and contemporary radio. It will be invaluable for scholars and students of the English language and of general linguistics, from undergraduate level upwards and also appeal to the general reader interested in picking to pieces the English language to see how it works.
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Front Matter
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1
Preliminaries
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How to make new words
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3
Criteria—affixes, semi-affixes, and compounds
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4
What we describe
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5
Un-expected, mis-judged, dis-organized counter-revolution: Making negative words
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Ultra-patriotic, extra-special, pre-election pseudo-promise: Keeping the same word class
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Be-feather, smart-en, em-power, beauti-fy, moral-ize: Making new verbs
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Moon-like, death-ly, angr-y, mysteri-ous, memor-able : Making new adjectives
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9
Eager-ness, bidd-ing, pay-ment, owner-ship, satisf-action: Making new nouns
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10
Care-ful-ly, side-ways, home-wards, crab-fashion: Making new adverbs
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11
Un-relent-less-ly de-west-ern-iz-ing non-mean-ing-ful infra-structures: Combining affixes
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12
Envoi: The way of words
R. M. W. Dixon
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End Matter
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