DERIVATIONAL COMPOUNDS

Derivational compounds or compound-derivatives like long-legged do not fit the definition of compounds as words consisting of more than one free stem, because their second element (-legged) is not a free stem. Derivational compounds are included in this chapter for two reasons: because the number of root morphemes is more than one, and because they are nearest to compounds in patterns.

Derivational compounds or compound-derivatives are words in which the structural integrity of the two free stems is ensured by a suffix referring to the combination as a whole, not to one of its elements: kind-hearted, old-timer, schoolboyishness, teenager. In the coining of the derivational compounds two types of word-formation are at work. The essence of the derivational compounds will be clear if we compare them with derivatives and compounds proper that possess a similar structure. Take, for example, brainstraster, honeymooner and mill-owner. The ultimate constituents of all three are: noun stem+ nounstem+-er. Analysing into immediate constituents, we see that the immediate constituents (IC?s) of the compound mill-owner are two noun stems, the first simple, the second derived: mill+owner, of which the last, the determinatum, as well as the whole compound, names a person. For the word honeymooner no such division is possible, since *mooner does not exist as a free stem. The IC?s are honeymoon+-er, and the suffix -er signals that the whole denotes a person: the structure is (honey+moon)+-er.

The process of word-building in these seemingly similar words is different: mill-owner is coined by composition, honeymooner ? by derivation from the compound honeymoon. Honeymoon being a compound, honeymooner is a derivative. Now brains trust ?a group of experts? is a phrase, so brainstruster is formed by two simultaneous processes ? by composition and by derivation and may be called a derivational compound. Its IC?s are (brains+ trust)+-?r¹.

The suffix -er is one of the productive suffixes in forming derivational compounds. Other examples of the same pattern are: backbencher ?an M.P. occupying the back bench?, do-gooder (ironically used in AmE), eye-opener ?enlightening circumstance?, first-nighter ?habitual frequenter of the first performance of plays?, go-getter (colloq.) ?a pushing person?, late-comer, left-hander ?left-handed person or blow?.

Nonce-words show some variations on this type. The process of their formation is clearly seen in the following examples: ?Have you ever thought of bringing them together?? ?Oh, God forbid. As you may have noticed, I'm not much of a bringer-together at the best of times.? (Plomer) ?The shops are very modern here,? he went on, speaking with all the rather touchy insistence on up-to-dateness which characterises the inhabitants of an under-bathroomed and over-monumented country (Huxley).

Another frequent type of derivational compounds are the possessive compounds of the type kind-hearted: adjective stem+noun stem+-ed. Its IC?s are a noun phrase kind heart and the suffix -ed that unites the elements of the phrase and turns them into the elements of a compound adjective. Similar examples are extremely numerous. Compounds of this type can be coined very freely to meet the requirements of different situations.

Very few go back to Old English, such as one-eyed and three-headed, most of the cases are coined in Modern English. Examples are practically unlimited, especially in words describing personal appearance or character: absent-minded, bare-legged, black-haired, blue-eyed, cruel-hearted, light-minded, ill-mannered, many-sided, narrow-minded, shortsighted, etc.

The first element may also be a noun stem: bow-legged, heart-shaped and very often a numeral: three-coloured.

The derivational compounds often become the basis of further derivation. Cf. war-minded : : war-mindedness; whole-hearted : : whole-heartedness : : whole-heartedly, schoolboyish : : schoolboyishness; do-it-yourselfer : : do-it-yourselfism.

The process is also called phrasal derivation: mini-skirt>mini-skirted, nothing but>nothingbutism, dress up>dressuppable, Romeo-and-Julietishness, or quotation derivation as when an unwillingness to do anything is characterised as let-George-do-it-ity. All these are nonce-words, with some ironic or jocular connotation.

34. Free Word-Groups Set-Phrases. Phraseological Units

Attempts have been made to approach the problem of phraseology in different ways. Up till now, however, there is a certain divergence of opinion as to the essential feature of phraseological units as distinguished from other word-groups and the nature of phrases that can be properly termed phraseological units.

The complexity of the problem may be largely accounted for by the fact that the border-line between free or variable word-groups and phraseological units is not clearly defined. The so-called free word-groups are only relatively free as collocability of their member-words is fundamentally delimited by their lexical and grammatical valency which makes at least some of them very close to set-phrases. Phraseological units are comparatively stable and semantically inseparable. Between the extremes of complete motivation and variability of member-words on the one hand and lack of motivation combined with complete stability of the lexical components and grammatical structure on the other hand there are innumerable border-line ca?ses.

? However, the existing terms,¹ e.g. set-phrases, idioms, word-equivalents, reflect to a certain extent the main debatable issues of phraseology which centre on the divergent views concerning the nature and essential features of phraseological units as distinguished from the so-called free word-groups. The term set-phrase implies that the basic criterion of differentiation is stability of the lexical components and grammatical structure of word-groups. The term idioms generally implies that the essential feature of the linguistic units under consideration is idiomaticity or lack cf motivation. This term habitually used by English and American linguists is very often treated as synonymous with the term phraseological unit universally accepted in our country.² The term word-equivalent stresses not only the semantic but also the functional inseparability of certain word-groups and their aptness to function in speech as single words.

Thus differences in terminology reflect certain differences in the main criteria used to distinguish between free word-groups and a specific type of linguistic units generally known as phraseology. These criteria and the ensuing classification are briefly discussed below.

35. CORRELATION OF PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS AND A WORD

Date: 2016-06-12; view: 1271