Suffixation

Suffixation is the formation of words with the help of suffixes. There are different classifications of suffixes in linguistic literature, as suffixes may be divided into several groups according to different principles.

Classification of Suffixes

1) The first principle of classification is the part of speech formed. Within the scope of the part-of-speech classification suffixes fall into several groups: noun-suffixes — those forming nouns (-er, -dom, -ness,-atipn); adjective — suffixes (-able, -less, -ful, -ic, -ous); verb — suffixes (-en, -fy, -ize); adverb — suffixes (-ly, -ward, -wise).

2) Suffixes may i also be classified according to the lexico-grammatical character of the base the suffix is usually added to. Proceeding from this principle one may divide suffixes into: deverbal suffixes, i.e. those added to the verbal base (-er, -ing, -ment, -able), denominal suffixes (-less, -ful, -ist); deadjectival suffixes (-en, -ly, -ish, -ness).

3) A classification of suffixes may also be based on the criterion of sense expressed by a set of suffixes. For instance, noun-suffixes fall into those denoting:

a) the agent of an action (-er, -ant) (baker, defendant);

b) appurtenance (-an, -ian, -ese) (Arabian, Russian, Elizabethan, Chinese);

c) collectivity (-age, -dom, -ery (-ry) (officialdom, peasantry);

d) diminutiveness (ie-, -let- -ling) (birdie, cloudlet, wolfling).

4) Suffixes may be classified from the point of view of stylistic reference into:

a) those characterized by neutral stylistic reference (-able, -er, -ing);

b) those having a certain stylistic value (-oid, tion) (they occur in terms — asteroid, cyclotron).

5) Suffixes are also classified as to the degree of their productivity into highly productive, productive and non — productive.

Polysemy and Homonymy

Many commonly used derivational affixes are polysemantic.in Modem English. The noun-suffix -er is used to coin words denoting

1) persons following some special trade or profession (baker, teacher);

2) persons doing a certain action at the moment in question (packer, giver);

3) a device, a tool, an implement (boiler, transmitter).

Many homonymic derivational affixes can be found among those forming both different parts of speech and different semantic groupings within the same part of speech. For instance, the adverb — suffix — ly i added to .adjectival bases (quickly, slowly) is homonymous to the adjective-suffix -Iy2 added to noun-bases (lovely, friendly). The verb-prefix -uni added to verb-bases (to unbind, to undo) is homonymous to the adjective-prefix -uii2 added to adjectival bases (untrue, unfair).

Synonymy

One of the consequences of extensive borrowing was the appearance of numerous derivational affixes in the English language. Some of the borrowed affixes came to overlap semantically with one another and with the native-affixes, e.g. the suffix -er of latin origin denoting the agent is synonymous to the suffix -ist of Greek origin which came into the English language through Latin in the 16th century (teacher, journalist).

These synonymous suffixes differ from each other in some respects: unlike the suffix -er, the suffix -ist is:

1) mostly combined with noun-bases (violinist, receptionist);

2) as a rule, added to bases of non-Germanic origin and very seldom to., bases of Germanic origin (walkist, rightist);

3) used to form nouns denoting those who adhere to a doctrine or system, a political party, an ideology (communist, Marxist, chartist).

Sometimes synonymous suffixes differ in emotive charge. E.g., the suf­fix -eer also denoting the agent is characterized by its derogative force (pro­fiteer — спекулянт). There is also a considerable number of synonymous prefixes in the English language (un-, ir-, il- in— Romance origin).