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Tree diagram
MORPHOLOGY
When analyzing a word, we show the process of word formation in
reverse.
• divide the word into two parts.
• continue this way cutting every parts into two more until we can
reduce the word to its ultimate constituents, that is to the
morphemes of which the word is composed — those which cannot
be divided any more.
• unhelpfulness
• helplessness
• unassertively
• redeclassify
Word formation Word formation
Tree diagram
MORPHOLOGY
• unhelpfulness • helplessness • unassertively
unhelpful + -ness helpless + -ness unassertive + -ly
un- + helpful help + -less un- + assertive
help + -ful assert + -ive
• redeclassify
re- + declassify
de- + classify
class + -ify
Word formation Word formation
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Tree diagram
MORPHOLOGY
• unhelpfulness
unhelpful + -ness N
un- + helpful
help + -ful A
un help ful ness
Word formation Word formation
Tree diagram
MORPHOLOGY
• unhelpfulness N
unhelpful + -ness
un- + helpful A
help + -ful
N
V
un help ful ness
Word formation Word formation
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Tree diagram
MORPHOLOGY
N
• helplessness
helpless + -ness
help + -less
help less ness
Word formation Word formation
Tree diagram
MORPHOLOGY
• helplessness N
helpless + -ness
help + -less
V
help less ness
Word formation Word formation
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Tree diagram
MORPHOLOGY
• unassertively Adv
unassertive + -ly
un- + assertive A
assert + -ive
V
un assert ive ly
Word formation Word formation
Tree diagram
MORPHOLOGY
• redeclassify V
re- + declassify
de- + classify
class + -ify V
N
re de class ify
Word formation Word formation
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Tree diagram – More practice
MORPHOLOGY
• Analyze the following words, using a tree diagram.
• greediness
• deconsecration
• incorruptibility
• enthronement
• re-uncover
• redecompartmentalisation
Word formation Word formation
Tree diagram – More practice
MORPHOLOGY
Note: The change from -y to -i- in greediness is
purely orthographic, with no linguistic
significance.
Word formation Word formation
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Tree diagram – More practice
MORPHOLOGY
Word formation Word formation
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Tree diagram – More practice
MORPHOLOGY
Word formation Word formation
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Tree diagram – More practice
MORPHOLOGY
Word formation Word formation
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Tree diagram – More practice
MORPHOLOGY
Word formation Word formation
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Tree diagram – More practice
MORPHOLOGY
• redecompartmentalise + ation
• re +decompartmentalize
• de + comparmentalise
• compartmental + ise
• compartment +al
Word formation Word formation
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Tree diagram – compound within compounds
MORPHOLOGY
• window oven cleaner N
→something that cleans a
window oven
→ window oven + cleaner
N
N N N
window oven cleaner
Word formation Word formation
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Tree diagram – compound within compounds
MORPHOLOGY
• window oven cleaner N
marketing
→window oven cleaner +
N
marketing
N N N N
window oven cleaner marketing
Word formation Word formation
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Tree diagram – compound within compounds
MORPHOLOGY
• holiday trip
N N
holiday trip
Word formation Word formation
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Tree diagram – compound within compounds
MORPHOLOGY
• holiday car trip N
holiday +car trip
N N
holiday car trip
Word formation Word formation
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Tree diagram – compound within compounds
MORPHOLOGY
• holiday car sight-seeing trip N
holiday + car sight-seeing trip N
N N N N N
holiday car sight seeing trip
Word formation Word formation
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Tree diagram – More practice
MORPHOLOGY
• Analyze the following words, using a tree diagram.
• cabin crew
• cabin crew training
• cabin crew safety training
Word formation Word formation
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Tree diagram – More practice
MORPHOLOGY
N N
cabin crew
Word formation Word formation
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Tree diagram – More practice
MORPHOLOGY
Word formation Word formation
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Tree diagram – More practice
MORPHOLOGY
N
N N
N N N N
cabin crew safety training
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Other aspects of word formation
MORPHOLOGY
1. etymology
2. coinage (+eponyms)
3. borrowing
4. compounding Read page 51 → 58
5. blending
6. clipping (+ hypocorisms)
7. backformation
8. conversion
9. acronyms
[Link]
[Link] and suffixes
[Link]
[Link] processes
Word formation Word formation
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Etymology
MORPHOLOGY
• the study of the history of words.
• By extension, the etymology of a word means its origin and development
throughout history.
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Coinage
MORPHOLOGY
• The invention of totally new terms → become everyday words in the
language. (usually trade names for commercial products)
• aspirin • teflon
• nylon • xerox
• vaseline • google
• zipper • ebay
• granola
• kleenex
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Coinage
MORPHOLOGY
• Eponyms: new words based on the name of a person or a place
• sandwich (from a person: Earl of Fahrenheit)
Sandwich) • volt (from a person: Alessandro
• jeans (from a city) Volta)
• Fahrenheit (from a person: Gabriel • watt (from a person: James Watt
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Borrowing
MORPHOLOGY
• The taking over of words from other languages
• croissant (French) • tattoo (Tahitian)
• piano (Italian) • yogurt (Turkish)
• sofa ( Arabic) • zebra (Bantu)
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Compounding
MORPHOLOGY
• bookcase • wallpaper
• doorknob • wastebasket
• fingerprint • waterbed
• sunburn • good-looking
• textbook • low-paid
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Blending
MORPHOLOGY
• The combination of two separate forms to produce a single new term is
also present in the process.
• Blending is typically accomplished by taking only the beginning of one
word and joining it to the end of the other word.
• gasohol: gasoline + alcohol • brunch: breakfast + lunch
• smog: smoke + fog • motel: motor + hotel
• bit: binary + digit • telecast (television + broadcast)
Word formation Word formation
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Clipping
MORPHOLOGY
• A word of more than one syllable is reduced to a shorter form.
• fax: facsimile • fan: fanatic
• gas: gasoline • Tom: Thomas
• ad: advertisement • Mike: Michael
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Clipping
MORPHOLOGY
• Hypocorism: a longer word is reduced to a single syllable, then –y or –ie is
added to the end
• movie: moving pictures • bookie: bookmaker
• telly: television • brekky: breakfast
• barbie: barbecue • hankie: handkerchief
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Backformation
MORPHOLOGY
• A word of one type (usually a noun) is reduced to form a word of another
type (usually a verb)
• televise: from television • babysit: from babysitter
• donate: from donation
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Conversion
MORPHOLOGY
• A change in the function of a word, as for example when a noun comes to
be used as a verb (without any reduction)
• Have you buttered the toast? • see-through materials
• Someone has to chair the • a stand-up comedian
meeting. • a must
• They’re vacationing in Florida.
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Acronyms
MORPHOLOGY
• New words formed from the initial letters of a set of other words.
• CD • radar (radio detecting and ranging)
• VCR • scuba (self-contained underwater
• NATO breathing apparatus)
• NASA • zip (zone improvement plan) code
• UNESCO • PIN (personal identification
• laser (light amplification by number)
stimulated emission of radiation) • ATM (automatic teller machine)
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Derivation
MORPHOLOGY
• Formation of new words by adding affixes
• unhappy
• misrepresent
• sadness
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Prefixes and suffixes
MORPHOLOGY
• mislead
• disrespectful
• foolishness
Word formation Word formation
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Infixes
MORPHOLOGY
• Absogoddamlutely
• Unfuckinbelievable
Word formation Word formation
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Multiple processes
MORPHOLOGY
• Problems with the project have snowballed.
• Snow + ball: compounding
• Snowball: noun → verb (conversion)
• Lase: a verb
• laser: acronym
• Lase: from laser: backformation
Word formation Word formation
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