Understanding English
Linguistics
Chapter 4 Morphology
: Derivation
Tae-Jin Yoon
Dept. of English Language and
Literature
Chapter Overview and
Objectives

After completing this lecture, you should
be able to
◦ Understand some behavior of derivational
affixes.
Derivational Affixes

set of derivational affixes is open-ended.
◦ there are a potentially infinite number of
them.

The suffix {ize} attaches to a noun or an
adjective and turns it into the
corresponding verb
◦ Noun+{ize}: criticize, rubberize, vulcanize,
pasteurize, mesmerize.
◦ Adj. + {ize}: normalize, realize, finalize,
vitalize, equalize
{ly}

Adjective + {ly}  adverb
◦ quickly, carefully, swiftly, mightily

Noun + {ly}  adjective
◦ friendly, manly, neighborly

We would need to come up with two
different morphological symbols for these
two derivational affixes spelled –ly.
Derivational prefixes meaning ‘not’

The prefix {un}
◦ unhappy, unwary, unassuming, unforgettable.

The prefix {dis}
◦ displeasure, disproportionate, dislike, distrust.

The prefix {a}
◦ asymmetrical, asexual, atheist, atypical.

The prefix {anti}
◦ anti-American, anti-Castro, anti-aircraft.
Differences Between Types of
Affixes

if two items exhibit different behavior
under the same conditions, they must
belong to different categories.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Historical development
Distribution
Range of application
Order of appearance
Effect on syntactic category
Number of allowable affixes
(1) Historical development

All inflectional affixes are native to English
◦ They have been part of English since Old
English was spoken-around A.D. 500-1000.

Many (but not all) derivational affixes are
borrowings from other languages, in
particular Latin and Greek.
◦ {ize} is borrowed from Greek;
◦ {dis}, {de}, and {re} are borrowed from Latin;
◦ {a} and {anti} are borrowed from Greek
through Latin.
(2) Distribution

All inflectional affixes are suffixes.
◦ {sing} + {PAST}

Derivational affixes may be either suffixes
or prefixes.
◦ {un} + {friend} + {ly}
(3) Range of appearance

Inflectional affixes have a relatively wide range of
application.
◦ Wide application means that an affix joins with
(almost) all members of a particular category.
◦ the inflectional affix {PLU} adjoins to (almost) all
members of the category noun.

derivational affixes have a wide to narrow range
of application.
◦ the derivational prefix {a} can be prefixed to a very
limited number of lexical morphemes:
◦ asexual, atypical, asymmetrical atheist, agnostic, amoral,
and so on.
◦ unhappy, unreliable, unpatriotic, unpopular, unbearable,
unimportant, unremarkable, and so on
(4) Order of appearance
Inflectional suffixes generally follow
derivational suffixes.
 Friendships: {friend} + {ship} + {s}
Root
D
I
 *Friendsship: {friend} + {s} + {ship}
Root
I
D

spoonfuls
Spoonful <- spoon + ful(l)
 A spoon full of castor oil
 Two spoons full of castor oil
 {spoon} + {full} + {PLU}
R
D
I
 Cupfuls rather than cupsful
 Mother-in-laws rather than mothers-inlaw

Category extension

Words such as lovingly and markedly appear
to violate the tendency of inflectional
suffixes to follow derivational suffixes:
◦ {love} + {PRES PART} + {-ly}
◦ {mark} + {PAST PART} + {-ly}

Once loving and marked are formed as
inflected verbs, they undergo what's termed
a category extension, which enables them
to enter into a new derivational paradigm.
◦ [{love} + {PRES PART}]V → [{loving}]Adj + {-ly}
◦ [{mark} + {PASTPART}]V → [{marked}] Adj + {-ly}
(5) Effect on syntactic category
Inflectional affixes do not change the
syntactic category (i.e., part of speech) of
the root they are attached to;
 derivational affixes, however, may.

◦ boy & Boys ({boy} + {PLU})  Noun
◦ critic (N), criticize {critic}+{ize} (V)
◦ quick (Adj.), quickly {quick}+{ly} (Adv.)
(6) Number of allowable affixes

No more than one inflectional
morpheme can be affixed to a particular
syntactic category
◦ *happierest ({happy} + {COMP} + (SUP})
◦ *droven ({drive} + {PAST} + {PAST PART})

No limit to the number of derivational
morphemes that can be affixed to one
category.
◦ coverable, recover, recoverable, uncover,
unrecoverable
N+{PLU} and NP+{POSS}

men's:
◦ {man} + {PLU} + {POSS}?
◦ [NP [N {man}] + {PLU}] + {POSS}
◦ *the man's on the moon wife.
◦ the man on the moon’s wife
◦ The men on the moon
Exercise H.1.
State the morphological principle that each of
the following forms violates.
a. * mouthsful for mouthfuls
b. *Ioveding for loved or loving
c. *roden for rode or ridden
d. *photographser for photographers
e. *two coffee blacks for two coffees black
f. *The last six Queen of Englands had sons.
g. * The girl's down the street bike was stolen.
Exercise H.4

A sign in Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwich
Shop reads Bigger, Faster, Deliciouser.
Explain the violation (if any).