Seminars in modern english lexicology

Seminars in Modern English Lexicology /Academic year 2022-2023
Teacher: Z.T. Tukhtakhodjaeva

SEMINARS IN MODERN ENGLISH LEXICOLOGY


Full name___Shaydullayeva Shakhlo Group No_307 Date: ____________

SEMINAR 7/8: SHORTENING AND MINOR TYPES OF WF.

1. 
   Shortening and its types : abbreviation and clipping
   
2. 
   Clippings and their classification
   
3. 
   Abbreviation and its types and pragmatics
   
4. 
   Minor types of WF
   

Task 1: Answer the following questions:

1. 
   How can words be shortened in English?
   

Shortening is a process of making words and certain word groups graphically shorter, and is a language mechanism basically serving “language economy” purposes;
Shortening is commonly divided into Clipping and Abbreviation;
Clipping refers to shortening words (autobus-bus, examination > exam);
Abbreviation refers to shortening word groups (ICT – information communication technologies, SOS – Save Our Souls).

2. 
   What types of clipping can you name?
   

Definition: A process of creating new words by deleting parts of a longer word by curtailment), known in English from 15th century:1) initial clipping/aphaeresis: pram< perambulator (Am. baby carriage, story < history, bus < autobus, omnibus, burger 2) final clipping / apocope: lab < laboratory, tech < technician, coke < coca-cola, app 3) medial clipping / syncope: specs < spectacles, pants < pantaloons,
4) mixed type: flu < influenza, fridge < refrigerator, tec < detective, etc.
5) Phrase clipping (phrase contraction) pub 
.

3. 
   What examples of abbreviation from your native language can you provide?
   

Definition: Forming words from the initials of a group of words denoting objects, organisations, positions, technical devices, equipment, diseases, documents, etc.:
ABBREVIATIONS:
WWW – World Wide Web;
VIP – very important person(s) (pl.VIPs);
OSCE – Organisation for security and cooperation
in Europe;
UN /UNO – United Nations Organisation .

4. 
   Why are some of the types of word formation called ‘minor’?
   

Have diachronic value and in Modern English possess stylistic relevance:
Productive types:
Blending : smoke + fog = smog; motor + hotel = motel;
Back-formation : editor > to edit, television > to televise;
Reduplication : goody-goody, bye-bye, walkie-talkie;
Non-productive types:
Sound interchange : to speak – speech, to feed – food;
Stress interchange : to pre’sent > a ‘present ;
Lexicalisation of plural form of nouns : arms, customs;
Substantivisation : patient (adj) > patient (n);
Adjectivisation: body (n) > > in ‘body language’;
Affixation plus sound interchange: south > southern, etc.

5. 
   What is the similarity and difference between ‘blending’ and ‘compounding’?
   

Blending is the process of creating new words by combining irregular parts of two different words;
Also called as ‘portmanteau words’:
1) By pattern “Head plus Tail”:
Microcomputer + software = Microsoft; motor + hotel = motel; hungry + angry = hangry, jeans + leggings = jeggings,
camera + recorder = camcorder
2) By pattern “Head plus Head”:
motor + pedal = moped
situation + comedy = sitcom

6. 
   Which of the types of word creation coincide with making grammatical forms of words?
   

Definition: Types of WF when words gradually change their syntactic functions and acquire new or broaden their meanings:
Substantivisation of adjectives:
intellectual (adj) > an intellectual (n);
unemployed (adj/PP) > an unemployed (n);
Also: the poor, the whites, news, goods, etc.
Adjectivisation of nouns, affixes, a stone wall, a flower girl, a fruit garden, a market fruit, a super job, work load, etc

7. 
   Which of the minor types are used in your native language?
   
8. 
   What latest neologisms made by any of the minor types can you provide for the class to learn?