What is Word Formation?

Word formation is the process of creating new words in a language by modifying existing words
or by combining them in different ways. It helps expand vocabulary and express ideas more
clearly.

A prefix is a group of letters added at the beginning of a word to change its meaning. It is one
of the most common methods of word formation in English. Prefixes do not stand alone; they
must be attached to a root or base word to form a complete word.

For example:

 Un + happy = Unhappy

 Re + write = Rewrite

 Dis + agree = Disagree

In each case, the prefix modifies the meaning of the base word:

 Unhappy means “not happy.”

 Rewrite means “write again.”

 Disagree means “not agree.

  un- (unfair, unclear)

  in-, im- (incorrect, impossible)
  dis- (dislike, disapprove)

Prefix of Number

 bi- (bicycle – two wheels)

 tri- (tricycle – three wheels)

 mono- (monologue – one person speaks)

 What is a Suffix?
 A suffix is a group of letters added at the end of a word to change its form or meaning.
It is an important part of word formation in English.
 Suffixes cannot stand alone; they are always added to the end of a root or base word to
form a new word. Adding a suffix can change a word's part of speech (noun, verb,
adjective, adverb) or its tense, number, or degree.

Examples of Suffixes:

1. -er (person who does something)

 o Teach → Teacher Write → Writer

2. -ful (full of)

o Hope → Hopeful Joy → Joyful

3. -less (without)

o Home → Homeless Fear → Fearless

o 4.-ness (state or quality) Kind → Kindness Dark → Darknes

4. -ly (in a way)

o Quick → Quickly SLOW ----SLOWLY

5. -ed (past tense)

o Play → Played

o Watch → Watched

6. -ing (present participle)

o Read → Reading

o Swim → Swimming

What is Compounding?

Compounding is a word formation process where two or more separate words are combined
to create a new word with a unique meaning. The new word is called a compound word.

For example:

7. Sun + light = Sunlight

8. Tooth + brush = Toothbrush
9. Note + book = Notebook

TYPES OF COMPOUND WORDS

Closed Compounds

 Words are joined together without space.

 📌 Examples:

o Blackboard, Bedroom, Toothpaste,

Hyphenated Compounds
  Words are joined using a hyphen (-).

o 📌 Examples: Mother-in-law, Part-time, Check-in

o Open Compounds Words are written separately but used as one meaning.
 Examples Ice cream, Post office High School.

What is Conversion (in Word Formation)?

Conversion, also known as zero derivation, is a word formation process in which a word
changes its part of speech (like from a noun to a verb or from an adjective to a noun) without
changing its spelling or form.

In simple words:

Conversion means using a word in a new grammatical role without adding a prefix or suffix.

Examples of Conversion:

Word Original Part of Speech New Part of Speech Example Sentence

Google Noun Verb I will Google the answer.

Email Noun Verb Please email me the file.

Water Noun Verb Can you water the plants?

Clean Adjective Verb Let’s clean the room.

Hand Noun Verb He handed me the keys.

Run Verb Noun He went for a run.

ypes of Conversions:

1. Noun → Verb Bottle → We bottled the juice

2. Verb → Noun Run → He went for a run.

Adjective → Verb Empty → Please empty the bin.

3. Adjective → Noun

o Poor → The government helps the poor.

What is Clipping? (In Word Formation)

Clipping is a word formation process where a longer word is shortened to form a new,
simpler word, without changing its original meaning.
The shortened word is called a clipped word.

Ad (Advertisement), Photo (Photograph), Phone (Telephone), Lab (Laboratory), Exam

(Examination), Math (Mathematics), Flu (Influenza), Gym (Gymnasium), Copter
(Helicopter), Fridge (Refrigerator) Spec (Specification), Gas (Gasoline), Fan (Fanatic),
Doc (Doctor), Vet (Veterinarian), Demo (Demonstration), Info (Information), Mic
(Microphone), Plane (Airplane), Typo (Typographical error)

What is Acronym.
An acronym is a word formed by taking the first letters of a group of words and
combining them to create a new, shorter word. Acronyms are commonly used to make
long phrases easier to remember and quicker to say or write. For example, NASA stands
for National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and UNESCO stands for United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. These are pronounced as
regular words, not letter by letter.
NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), UNESCO (United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), COVID (Coronavirus Disease),
RADAR (Radio Detection and Ranging), AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency
Syndrome), SCUBA (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus), PIN (Personal
Identification Number), SIM (Subscriber Identity Module), Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity),
ZIP (Zone Improvement Plan)

Topic 2
Root words from foreign language and their use in English.

Root words are the basic building blocks of words. Many English words come from
foreign languages, especially Latin and Greek. These root words carry specific
meanings and are used to form hundreds of new words in English by adding prefixes
and suffixes.

Aqua (water) – Aquarium, Aquatic, Aqueduct;

Port (carry) – Transport, Export, Portable;
Dict (say/speak) – Dictate, Dictionary, Prediction;
Vid/Vis (see) – Video, Vision, Visible;
Scrib/Script (write) – Describe, Manuscript, Subscribe;
Terr (earth) – Territory, Terrain, Terrestrial;
Temp (time) – Temporary, Tempo, Contemporary;
Struct (build) – Construct, Structure, Destruction;
Form (shape) – Formation, Transform, Uniform;
Act (do) – Action, Actor, React, Activate

Many English words are derived from Greek root words, which help us understand
their meanings and origins. For example, the root “photo” means light and is found
in words like photograph, photosynthesis, and photocopy. The Greek root “tele”
means far and appears in telephone, television, and telescope. Another root, “graph”,
means write and is used in autograph, paragraph, and graphics. The root “geo”,
meaning earth, is seen in geography, geology, and geometry. The root “bio”,
meaning life, appears in biology, biography, and biodegradable. “Chron”, meaning
time, can be found in chronology, synchronize, and chronicle. The root “therm”,
meaning heat, is used in thermometer, thermal, and thermostat. Another example is
“micro”, meaning small, which we see in microscope, microorganism, and microchip.
The root “auto”, meaning self, is found in autograph, automatic, and autonomy.
Lastly, “hydro”, meaning water, is used in hydrology, hydropower, and hydraulic.

French words used in English

 Fiancé / Fiancée – A man/woman who is engaged to be married

 Cuisine – Style of cooking or kitchen

 Entrepreneur – A person who starts a business

 Ballet – A classical dance form

 Café – A small restaurant or coffee shop, means coffee.