2. The structural types of English words

In Modern English there are 4 structural types of words depending on the difference of their morphemes.

I. The words consisting of only one root-morpheme are known as simple words (or root words), e.g. man, sky, gem, dean, aim, pear, swig, self, long, short, big, look, sit, stand, see, etc. Simple words predominate in speech communication, as anyone can see who will listen to an average talk or read a page in a book or newspaper. These words occur in any text with the greatest frequency. A great number of simple words belong to the original English stock or to earlier borrowings, e.g. house, room, work, port, street, table, etc.

II. The words consisting of a root and one or more affixes are known as derived words (or derivatives), e.g. development, journalist, quickly, friendship, personify, greenish, discover, imperfect, unable, undo, disagreement, indifference, reproductive, etc. Derived words are extremely numerous in the English vocabulary. They rate second in frequency after simple words and tower above all the other structural types if counted in a dictionary. The high percentage of derived words both in language and speech is explained by the activity of derivation or affixation as a word-building device. It has never slackened its productivity beginning with the earlier stages of the development of the English language.

III. The words consisting of two or more stems are known as compound words (or compounds), e.g. hothead, pressman, chairperson, godson, fruitcake, ladybird, waterfall, washhouse, broomstick, bluebell, brownstone, salesgirl, herdsman, bridesmaid, lily-white, dark-grey, snow-white, forget-me-not, pick-me-up, lily-of-the-valley, good-for-nothing, dyed-in-the-wool, know-all, know-nothing, stay-at-home, mum-to-be, fly-by-night, lady-killer, pen-holder, etc.

Words of this structural type are produced by the way of word-building called compounding (or composition). Compound words do not amount to much in frequency. In the existing word-stock, compound nouns constitute 15 per cent. The number of compounds in the language is steadily growing.

IV. The words in which phrase components are joined together by means of compounding and affixation are known as derivational compounds, e.g. long-legged, broad-shouldered, oval-shaped, fair-haired, bald-headed, grey-eyed, hot-tempered, strong-willed, hot-blooded, open-minded, chicken-hearted, etc. Derivational compounds are the words combining the features of compounds and derivatives. They are formed when a suffix or a prefix is added to a compound word (or a compound stem), e.g. left-hand/ed, left-hand/er, sight-se/er, house-wif/ery, etc.

3. The morphemic analysis of the word

Morphological structure of words can be determined by special synchronic method known as the analysis into immediate and ultimate constituents (ICs and UCs).This method is based on the binary principle. It means that the analysis proceeds in stages, and at each stage the word or a part of it is segmented into immediate constituents. Such successive segmentation results in ultimate constituents that defy any further division, e.g.

a) denationalize (v):

1) denationalize > de/nationalize;

2) nationalize > national/ize;

3) national> nation/al.

Hence, the UCs of the word denationalize are de/nation/al/ize.

b) ungentlemanly (adj):

1) ungentlemanly > un/gentlemanly;

2) gentlemanly > gentleman/ly;

3) gentleman > gentle/man;

4) gentle > gent/le.

Hence, the UCs of the word ungentlemanly are un/gent/le/man/ly.

Ш. The origin of English words

Plan

1. Native words in the English vocabulary

2. Borrowed words in the English vocabulary

3. Classification of borrowings according to the borrowed aspect

4. Classification of borrowings according to the degree of assimilation

5. Classification of borrowings according to the language from which they were

borrowed:

a) Romanic borrowings;

b) Germanic borrowings;

c) Slavic borrowings

Literature:

1. Антрушина Г.Б., Афанасьева О.В., Морозова Н.Н. Лексикология английского

языка. – М., 1999.