Lexical Morphology How existing words have been constructed and how neologisms might be constructed

Lexical Morphology

How existing words have been constructed and how neologisms

might be constructed

Simple words and complex words

Simple words cannot be analysed in smaller units of meaning. paper, fear, rubbish

Complex words can be subdivided into smaller units of meaning.

printer, unfortunately, dispel

Open classes

We will only consider words from open classes because members of closed classes are largely simple words and they rarely admit new members.

We are not concerned with the etymology of words. We want to identify strategies used in English.

Morphemes and allomorphs

MORPHEME ALLOMORPH

ABSTRACT

The surface form which occurs in the realisation of a morphemee.g.In – elegantIm – politeIl – legalIr – regular

Im- il- and ir- are simply different forms of the same morpheme in-, which indicates the opposite of the word that follows.

Free and bound morphemes

CAT

UN + FORTUN(e) + ATE + LY

FREE morpheme BOUND morphemes

Compound words, complex words

A compound word is constructed from two free morphemes

A complex word is constructed from a root morpheme (free or bound) + at least one bound morpheme

KEY BOARD

Word-formation strategies:AFFIXATION

The most productive of strategies: adding bound morphemes

word-initial and word-final elements

(see table 3.1 p. 55)

BASEPREFIX SUFFIX AFFIX (bound morpheme)

(INFIX)Class-preserving Class-changing

taboo words

COMPOUNDING

This is another very productive way of forming words in English, especially in relation to nouns and adjectives.

It is a good idea to treat all compounds (two separate words/ a single word/ hyphenated) as ONE LEXEME.

When (as in technophobe) we can’t decide which is the root we call themcombining forms.

A joke… Language is like the air we breathe. It's invisible,

inescapable, indispensable, and we take it for granted. But, when we take the time to step back and listen to the sounds that escape from the holes in people's faces and to explore the paradoxes and vagaries of English, we find that hot dogs can be cold, darkrooms can be lit, homework can be done in school, nightmares can take place in broad daylight while morning sickness and daydreaming can take place at night, tomboys are girls and midwives can be men, hours -- especially happy hours and rush hours -- often last longer than sixty minutes, quicksand works very slowly, boxing rings are square, […] and most bathrooms don't have any baths in them.

Richard Lederer http://www.verbivore.com

What is a multi-word verb?

A.K.A (also known as) phrasal verb Verb + one or more particles

Verb + preposition Verb + adverb Verb + adverb + preposition

Meaning is partly or wholly idiomatic

Examples of phrasal verbs

The plane took off (adverb) > NO OBJECT (intransitive)

Can you put my parents up if they come?

Can you put up my parents if they come?

(but “put them up” and not *put up them)

OBJECT SEPARABLE (transitive)

Phrasal verbs are followed by adverbs

Examples

She asked me to look after her children (not *to look her children after) > OBJECT INSEPARABLE (transitive) this is a prepositional verb

You shouldn’t look up to soccer players(not *look up soccer players to)OBJECT with two particles, the particles are

inseparableThis is a phrasal-prepositional verb adverb +

preposition

Thankfully, the cheap prices are real. They start at £399 for an all-inclusive trip to Argentières, France, including six nights' full-board in a hostel with ski and boot hire, lessons both morning and afternoon, and a lift pass. Coach travel is extra. I opted to go to Flaine, one of the premier resorts in the Grand Massif, where a week's full board in a room sleeping four, with a lift pass and ski hire, starts at £466. Taking morning lessons adds £19; full-time instruction £43. Switching from a four to a two-person room adds £33. Return coach travel from London costs as little as £99, or you can book your own low-cost flight. Some tour operators' special offers may look cheaper at first glance, but, when you include ski hire (the best part of £100 a week), lift pass (nearly £200), and lessons (another £200) - not to mention lunches - the advantage is lost.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/feb/08/skiing-budget-travel-hostel-hotel-accommodation-credit-crunch

Homework

Read Ballard’s book, pages 50-62 (3.1 - 3.6)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel

Visit the Travel section on The Guardian website and find tourism-related compounds.

Post them on the blog, providing some explanation. (or send me an email)