Word-formation history

The growth of the English vocabulary from internal sources, i.e. through word – formation & semantic change, may have become relatively less important in ME because hundreds of foreign words (esp. French) entered the language. In the 15^th, 16^th, 17^th century the role of internal sources of the replenishment of the vocabulary became more important again though the influx of borrowings from other languages continued.

As before word-formation fell into two types: word derivation & word composition.

The means of derivation used in OE were generally the same. Suffixation has been the most productive way of deriving new words.

Verb suffixes of native origin have never been productive in English –en (ME) < -nian or –an (OE)

Borrowed suffixes: -ess (French), -ee (Fr.), -or (Fr.), -ist, -ite (Fr.) – “nomina agentis”.

Noun suf-es: -ance, -ence, -ty, -age, -ry, -ment (Fr.), -tion/sion (Fr.-Lat.), -ism (Greek).

Adj. suf. – able/ible (Lat.-Fr.), -ous (O. Fr.), -al, -ic, -ive (Fr.), -ise, -fy (Fr.).

During the ME period prefixes were used in derivation less frequently than before.

Native prefixes: many OE prefixes dropped out of use: a-, to-, on-, of-, ƺe-, or- or fused with the root simplifying the structure of the word.

ME prefixes were: be-, mis-, un-

OE ut > out, OE ofer > over, OE under > under.

Borrowed prefixes: re- (Fr.), de-, dis- (Fr.-Lat.), en/in (Fr.), non- (Fr.-Lat.), anti- (Gr.), co- (L.), ex- (L.), extra-(L.), post- (L.), pre- (L.), semi- (L.).

In ME the suf. –end, -en, -estre took place as inseparable parts of the stem.

● ME frend, fysen, spinnestre NE friend, she-fox, spinster

The sub –ere- developed into –er & it had several rival among the suffixes –or, -ist, -ite.

The old suffixes of abstract nouns –af, -of, -f were lost & replaced by the suffixes –ness, -ing (from OE inƺ/unƺ).

The OE suffixes –dom, -lac, -hād, -ræden, -scipe that had developed from root – morphemes remained relative productive in ME but their productivety fell later.

New derivatives with –dom, -ship, -hood can be found in the texts of all historical period.

A new suf. –man developed from a root – morpheme in ME.

● seaman, nobleman.

The adj. suffixes were very productive: -isc (OE) > ish (ME), iz (OE) > y (ME), lic (OE) > ly (ME), leac (OE) > less (ME), -ful (from OE).

Sound interchanges & the shifting of word stress were employed as a means of word differeantiation rather than as a word building means.

In the ENE period there appeared specifically English way of word derivation – conversion, when the word is transformed into another part of speech with an identical initial from.

● NE house (v) – house (n)

● OE LME NE

lufu (n) – luflian (v) love (n) – loven (v) love (n, v)

Many compounds recorded in OE texts went out of use in ME together with the genre of OE poetry.

In early NE word compounding productivity grew. As before, compounding was more characteristic of nouns & adj-s than of verbs.

All through the ME & ENE periods compounds words were subjected to morphological simplification, i.e. to become an indivisible word.

● OE OI cel. wind – auga > OE windoƺe > NE window.

● ME all one > NE alone

NE good-bye < God be with you!

OE wifman > woman

In ME there appeared another way of simplication, so called “back formation”. It’s a process of word building based on an analogy.

● ME beggere > NE “beggar” produced the verb “beg” by dropping the suffix.

● televise < television edit < editor

Internal source of the replenishment of the English vocabulary were semantic changes which created new meanings & new words. They can be divided into widening & narrowing of meaning & also metaphoric & metonymic shifts.

● OE deor (animal) ⇨deer (narrowing) (NE)

● OE slogan (battle cry) ⇨NE (widening)

holiday (religions festival)

journey (a day’s work)

● ME vixen (she-fox) (metaphoric change) > NE “bad-tempered woman”

● ME Gang (a set of tools) > a group of workman NE – metonymic change.

Many semantic changes proceed together with stylistic changes enriching the English vocabulary.