WORD FORMATION

Word: A group of letters which has a meaning is called a word. A word is used to stand for a thing or a person.

A. Primary Words: Words which are not derived, compounded or developed from other words are called primary words.

B. Compound Words: Words which are formed by joining two or more simple words are called compound Words.

Ex: school-bus, college-girl, play-ground

C. Primary Derivatives: Words which are formed by making some changes in the body of the simple words are called primary Derivatives.

Ex: bond from bind

D. Secondary Derivatives: Words which are formed by adding some letter[s] at the beginning or at the end are called secondary Derivatives.

Ex: UNwise, kindNESS

most words are formed with the help of prefix and Suffix.

E. Prefix: A syllable placed at the beginning of a word to form a new word is called a prefix.

Ex: Displeased, UNeasy, MISunderstand, IMpolite

F. Suffix: A syllable placed at the end of a word to form a new word is called a suffix.

Ex: hopeFUL, kingDOM, boyHOOD, bond AGE, manLY, healthY, otherWISE

COMPOUND WORDS

Compound words may be formed from:

1. Noun + Noun
2. Adjective + Noun
3. Verb + Noun
4. Ground + Noun
5. Adverb (Preposition) + Noun
6. Verb + Adverb
7. Adverb + Verb

Compound Noun

Noun	+ Noun	New word
sun	light	sunlight
cricket	match	cricket-match
hand	bag	handbag
post	card	postcard
rail	road	railroad
air	ticket	air-ticket
maid	servant	maid-servant
jail	bird	jail-bird
love	Abba	love-story
tax	payer	tax-payer
Adjective	+ Noun	New word
sweet	heart	sweetheart
deep	river	deep river
short	story	short story
regional	language	regional language
strong	hold	stronghold
political	leader	Political leader
Verb	+ Noun	New word
hang	man	hangman
dare	devil	daredevil
cut	throat	cutthroat
pick	pocket	spendthrift
Verb	+ Noun	New word
play	ground	playground
love	letter	love-letter
pay	slip	payslip
work	load	workload
watch	man	watchman
cook	book	cookbook
rain	water	rain-water
care	taker	caretaker
spare	time	spare time
trouble	maker	troublemaker
Gerund	+ Noun	New word
spelling	book	spelling-book
walking	stick	walking-stick
writing	desk	writing-desk
blotting	paper	botting-paper
stepping	stone	stepping-stone
looking	glass	looking-glass
drawing	room	room-room
waiting	list	waiting-list
visiting	card	visiting-card
Adverb (preposition>	+ Noun	New word
in	side	inside
ddown	fall	downfall
in	mate	inmate
by	path	bypath
after	noon	afternoon
off	spring	offspring
over	coat	overcoat
fore	sight	foresight
out	law	outlaw
Verb	+ Adverb	New word
draw	back	drawback
lock	up	lockup
die	hard	diehard
send	off	sendoff
set	back	setback
Verb	+ Adverb	New word
follow	up	follow-up
make	up	makeup
out	set	outset
up	keep	upkeep

COMPOUND ADJECTIVES

Compound Adjectives may be formed from:

1. Noun + Adjective
2. Adjective + Adjective
3. Adverb + Participle

Noun	+ Adjective or participle	New word
bed	rideen	bedridden
hand	made	handmade
heart	broken	heart-broken
time	serving	time-serving
ear	piercing	ear-piercing
heart	rending	heart-rending
note	worthy	noteworthy
sea	sick	seasick
stone	blind	stone-blind
home	sick	homesick
skin	deep	skin-deep
breast	high	breast-high
snow	white	snow-white
sky	blue	sky-blue
purse	up	purse-proud
pitch	dark	pitch-dark
blood	red	blood-red
Adjective	+ Adjective	New word
red	hot	red-hot
blue	black	blue-black
white	hot	white-hot
dull	keep	dull-grey
Adverb	+ Participle	New word
far	seen	far-seen
in	born	inborn
down	hearted	down-hearted
out	spoken	outspoken
well	deserved	well-deserved
thorough	set	throughbred
up	ending	never-ending
ever	lasting	everlasting
long	suffering	long-suffering

COMPOUND VERBS

Compound Verbs may be formed from:

1. Noun + Verb
2. Adjective + Verb

Noun	+ Verb	New word
way	lay	waylay
back	bite	back-bite
type	write	type-write
brow	beat	brow-beat
ear	mark	earmark
Adjective	+ Verb	New word
safe	guard	safeguard
ful	fil	fulfil
over	throw	overthrow
fore	tell	foretell
under	go	undergo
over	hear	overhear
up	set	upset
ill	use	ill-use
over	keep	overdo

THE USE OF PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES

A. SOME IMPORTANT PREFIXES

1. A [on]: asleep, ashore, aside, asway, aboard

2. A [out, from]: arise, awake, alight

3. Ab [A, abs] From, away: abuse, avert, abstract

4. Ab [ac, af, ag, al, an, ap, ar, as, at, a]: adjoin, accord, affect, aggrieve, allege, announce, appoint, arrest, assign, attach, avail

5. Ambi [on both sides]: ambidextrous, ambivalent, ambiguous, ambition, amputate

6. Ante [anti, an] before: antedate, anticipate, ancestor, antechamber, antecedent

7. Anti [against]: antidote, anti-romantic, anti-social, anti-national.

8. Arch [chief]: arch-bishop, arch-enemy

9. Auto [self]: autobiography, automobile, auto suggestion, automatic, autograph

10. Bene [well]: benediction, benefit, benevolent, benefactor

11. Bi [two]: bicycle, bilateral, bigamy, biweekly, biweekly, biennial, bisect binocular

12. Circum [Around]: circumference, circumstances, circumscribe, circumnavigation, circumvent, circuit

13. Co [with]: co-operate, co-ordinate, co-existence

14. Con [col, com, cor] with, together, contend, collect, combine, correct

15. Contra, counter [against]: contradict, contraband, contraceptive, contravene, controversy, counteract, counter balance, counter attach, counter-revolution, counterfeit 

16. De [down]: demigod, demi-official, demi- paradise, denationalize.

17. Demi [half]: demigod, demi-official, demi-paradise

18. Dis [apart]: disjoin, differ, divide, disconnect, discord, disorganise, disparity, dispassionate

19. En, em [in, on]: endanger, engulf, anable, enrage, enlist, embolden, embody, embark, emplane

20. Equi [equally]: equilateral, equidistant, equivalent

21. Ex [out of]: expel, extract, extend, express, exhale, extinguish, expedient

22. Extra [beyond]: extraordinary, extravagant, extra territorial

23. Hetro [different]: heterodox, heterogeneous

24. Hexo [six]: hexigon, hexameter

25. Hyper [over]: hypercritical, hypersensitive, hypertension

26. In, II, Im, if [not]: insecure, indelicate, illegible, illiterate, illogical, immaterial, impious, impracticable, improper, irrational, irresistible, irresponsible

27. Inter [between]: intervene, introduce, inter caste, international, inter collegiate

28. Intro [within]: intravenous, intramuscular

29. Male, Mali, mal, [Ill, evil]: malefactor, malevolent, malignant, malicious, maltreat, malpractice, malnut

30. Mis [ill]: mischief, misrule, mismanage, misappropriate

31. Mis [error]: Mislead, mishap, misconduct, mistrust

32. Mono [alone]: monogamy, monopoly, monotheism, monotony, mono syllable, monologue.

33. Meta [met]: metaphor, metonymy

34. Non [not]: non-violence, nonsense, non-cooperation

35. On [against]: object, occupy, offend

36. Ommi [all]: omnipresent, omnipotent, omnivorous, omniscient

37. Over [above, beyond]: overflow, overcharge overfed, overjoyed, over bear

38. Pan [call]: panacea, panorama, pantheism

39. Para [besides, by the side of]: parallel, paradox, parasite

40. Per, pel [through]: period, perimeter, periscope

41. Philo, Phil [love]: philosophy, philanthropy, philander

42. Poly [many]: polygamy, polytheism, polyandry, polysyllabic

43. Post [often]: postwar, postscript, postmortem, postdated, postpone

44. Pre [before]: prefix, prevent, predict,

 prewer, precaution, premature, prehistoric, prejudice

45. Pro, por, pur [for] : pronoun, portray, pursue

46. Pseudo [false]: pseudocritic, pseudo scientist

47. Re [back, again]: reclaim, refund, renew, return, revive, renascent, research

48. Retro [back words]: retrospect, retrograde

49. Se, sed [apart]: secede, separate, seduce, sedition

50. Semi [half] semicircle, semicolon, semiofficial, semicircular, semifinal

51. Sub, suc, suf, sug, sum, sur, sus, [under]: subdue, succeed, suffer, suggest, summon, support, surmount, sustain, sub conscious, sub human, sub caste, subplot, subordinate, sub standard, subjugate

52. Super, sur [over, above]: superfine, superfluous, superman, supernatural, superhuman, supervise, surpass, surcharge.

53. Syn, sym, syl, sy [with, together]: synonym, sympathy, syllable, system

54. Trans, tra, tras [across]: transmit, traverse, trespass, transfer, transit, translate, transcribe, transcend

55. Tri [three]: tricycle, trinity, triangle, tricolor

56. To [this]: today, tonight, tomorrow

57. Ultra [beyond]: ultramodern, ultraviolet, ultramarine

58. Un [not]: unable, unnatural, unbalanced, unthinking 

59. Un [back, against, to reverse the action]: undo, unwind, unblind, unearth, unman, unfold

60. Under [beneath, below]: undersell, undercharge, undergo, underground, underestimate, undertake

61. Vise [in place of]: vice president, viceroy

62. With [against, back]: withdraw, withhold, withstand

B. SOME IMPORTANT SUFFIXES 

1. Noun suffixes

Formation of Abstract Noun

Abstract Noun denoting quality/condition/action/system of thought

(a) Age: baggage, mileage, foliage, bondage, personage, marriage, breakage, leakage

(b) Ance, ence: abundance, brilliance, assistance, excellence, innocence, bankruptcy

(c) Cy, sy. lunacy, aristocracy, democracy, phantasy, fancy, accuracy, bankruptcy

(d) Dom: freedom, wisdom, kingdom, martyrdom, boredom

(e) Hood: childhood, manhood, neighborhood, womanhood

(f) Ing: action, expression, oration, radiation, tension, opinion union

(g) Ion: action, expression, oration, radiation, tension, opinion, union

(h) Ice: cowardice, practice, service, avarice, exercise

(I) Ism: socialism, capitalism, patriotism, journalism

(j) Ment: punishment, astonishment, enchantment, judgment, improvement, disappointment, announcement, appointment

Mony: harmony, matrimony, acrimony, Care mony, parsimony, testimony

(I) Ness: boldness, calmness, openness, darkness, kindness, goodness, greatness, sweetness

(m) Red: hatred, kindred

(n) Ship: friendship, lectureship, Lordship, hardship, leadership, captainship.

(o) Th: health, wealth, width, depth, birth, death, length, strength, growth

(p) Tude: latitude, longitude, fortitude, magnitude, attitude, servitude

(q) Ty: loyalty, reality, cruelty, dignity, priority, rarity, surity, frailty, credulity

(r) Ure, eur, our, culture, stature, grandeur, tenure, honour

(s) Y: envy, memory, gluttony, villainy, study, remedy, misery, victory

FORMATION OF NOUNS DENOTING PERSONS OR AGENTS

(a) Ard: coward, drunkard, dullard, slugged, niggard

(b) Ate, ee, ey, y, advocate, curate, magnate, examinee, payee, absentee, attorney, jury trustee, deputy

(c) Er, or, ar, eer, ier, ary. Speaker, writer, orator, sailor, begger, mountaineer, dignity, pamphleteer, secretary, financier, painter, baker, lawyer, scholar, preacher, engineer, missionary, emperor, Saviour, amateur, interpreter

(d) Ain, an, on: captain, villain, chieftain, pagen, librarian, citizen, warden, sexton, deacon, artisan, surgeon

(e) Ist, ast: dentist, novelist, scientist, enthusiast

(f) Ster: youngster, songster, spinster, trickster

(g) Monger: war monger, fish monger, iron monger, rumour monger

(h) Wright: playwright, wheel-wright, cart wright

(I) Ter, ther: mother, father, brother, sister, daughter

Formation of diminutives

(a) Let: booklet, pamphlet, rivulet, streamlet, owlet, leaflet, lancet, trumpet

(b) Ling: ducking, darling, stripling, weakling

(c) Ock: hillock, bullock, paddock

(d) El, le, ule, cel, sel, cle: globule, granule, parcel, demsel, particle, chronicle, satchel, kemel, girdle, handle, chapel, circle, animal clue

(e) Erel: cockerel, pickerel, mongrel

(f) En: chicken, kitten, maiden

(g) Et, ette: coronet, packet, cigarette, kitchenette, cassette

(h) Y. Ie: daddy, Mummy, birdie, girlie, puppy

(I) Kin: lambkin, napkin

Other Noun Suffixes

(a) Ic, ique: lunatic, logic, physique, critic, critique

(b) Ary, ery, ory, ry: airary, dispensary, dormitory, nunnery, monastery, vestry, pantry, library, treasury

(c) Ant: merchant, descendant, tenant, giant

(d) Al: animal, capital, arrival, denial, proposal

(e) Ade: crusade, brigade, cascade, blockade, barricade

2. Adjective Suffixes

(a) Al: national, provincial, royal, regional, loyal, legal, regal, mortal, fatal, social, political

(b) Ar: nuclear, lunar, solar, circular, familiar, regular

(c) Ary: necessary, contrary, honorary, arbitrary, customary ordinary

(d) Ant: radiant, brilliant, magnificent, obedient

(e) Able, ible, blue, bile: practicable, lovable, audible, visible, mobile, servile, fragile, juvenile

(f) Ed: leaned bearded, moneyed, deserted, gifted, relented, wretched

(g) En: molten, drunken, forbidden, frozen, wooden, golden, woolen, earthen.

(h) Ic, ique: rustic, public, aquatic, supersonic, patriotic, telegraphic, antique, unique, comic(al), tragic(al), politic (al), economic (al), electric(al), magic(al)

(I) Esque: picturesque, grotesque, statuesque

(j) Ish, sh: foolish, stylish, slavish, swinish, peevish, thievish, greenish, bluish, youngish, oldish, amateurish, boorish, bookish, reddish, girlish

(m) Ive: progressive, massive, active, talkative, possessive, deceptive, attentive, sportive

(n) Lent: violent, turbulent,virulent, corpulent, indolent

(o) Less: senseless, meaningless, fearless, lawless, shameless, hopeless, boundless, speechless

(p) Ly: beastly, friendly, manly, cowardly, kindly, goldly, scholarly, heavenly, deadly

(q) Ory: illusory, migratory, prefatory, introductory

(r) Ous: glorious, curious, dangerous, murderous

(s)Some: tiresome, meddlesome, wearisome, wholesome, quarrelsome

(t) Ward: homeward, forward, backward, heavenward, wayward, 

(u) Y: healthy, wealthy, weary, greedy, windy, slimy, needy, thirsty, dirty

(v) Id: humid, vivid, lucid

(w) Ble: feeble, sensible, laughable, laudable, probable

(x) Ate: fortunate, temperate, obstinate, delicate

(y) An, ane: human, humane, mundane

3. Verb suffixes

(a) Ate, ite: mediate, nominate, disignate, venerate, expedite, requite, Invite, excite, captivate, captivate, exterminate, assassinate

(b) En: broaden, brighten, lighten, fallen, strengthen, weaken, sanctify, terrify

(c) Ft: beautify, pacify, falsify, testify, simplify, purify, fortify, sanctify, terrify

(d) Ise, ize: nationalize, equalize, liberalize, generalize, scandalize, monopolize, patronize, memorize, sympathize, materialize, monopolize, patronize, memorize, sympathize, materialize, criticize, sermonize, philosophize, civilize

(e) Se: cleanse, rinse

(f) Ee: chatter, glitter, glimmer, fritter, flutter

(g) Ish: publish, nourish, punish, banish

4. Adverb suffixes

(a) Ly: aimlessly, beautifully, happily, clearly, wisely, boldly, loudly, madly, roughly

(b) Ingly: amazingly, lovingly, interestingly, surprisingly

(c) Edly: crookedly, devotedly, mistakenly, dedicatedly, decidedly, daily, weekly, wholly, individually (with nouns)

(d) Ce: once, twice, thrice

(e) St: amidst, amongst

(f) Word: backward, forward, upward, onward, homeward

(g) way: straightway, anyway, always

(h) Wise: likewise, otherwise

WORD FORMATION

1A. FORMATION OF NOUNS FROM VERBS

No. Verb	Noun
1. abide	abode
2. abound	abundance
3. admit	admission
4. apply	application
5. amuse	amusement
6 arrive	arrival
8. agree	agreement
9. approve	approval
10. assist	assistance
11. attend	attendance, attention
12. advise	advice
13. bear	birth, bier
14. bind	bond, band
15. break	breach
16. believe	belief
17. bite	bit
18. brand	brand
19. belong	belongings
20. bury	burial
21. bless	blessings
22. choose	choice
23. compel	compulsion
24. connect	connection
25. carry	carriage
26. conceal	concealment
27. draw	draft
28. die	death
29. do	deed
30. drink	draught
31. decide	decision
32. deny	denial
33. discover	discovery
34. deceive	deception
35. defy	defiance
36. deliver	deliver/deliverance
37. dismiss	dismissal
38. exceed	excess
39. expel	expulsion
40. exist	existence
41. flow	flood
42. float	fleet
43. fly	flight
45. give	gift
46. grow	growth
47. heal	health
48. hate	hatred
49. judge	judgment
50. know	knowledge
51. live	life, living
52. lend	loan
53. lose	loss
54. learn	learning
55. laugh	laughter
56. marry	marriage
57. move	motion, movement
58. manage	management
59. mean	meaning
60. narrate	narrative, narration
61. offend	offence
62. obey	obedience
63. occupy	occupation
64. object	objection
65. oppose	opposition
66. pretend	pretence
67. pursue	pursuit
68. practise	practice
69. prove	proof
70. perform	performance
71. precise	precision
72. predict	prediction
73. please	pleasure
74. proceed	process, procedure
75. protect	protection
76. provide	provision
77. quote	quotation
78. relieve	relief
79..receive	receipt, reception
80. refer	reference
81. refuse	refusal
82. resolve	resolution
83. reduce	reduction
84. refresh	refreshment
85. respond	response
86. reveal	revelation
87. slay	slaughter
88. shake	shock
89. sit	seat
90. strive	strife
91. see	sight
92. secure	security
93. sing	song
94. speak	speech
95. strike	stroke
96. slay	slaughter
97. seize	seizure
98. serve	service
99. steal	stealth
100. succeed	success
101. tell	tale
102. think	thought
103. try	tral
104. urge	urgency
105. vacate	vacancy
106. weave	web
107. wake	watch
108. weigh	weight
109. wed	wedding

1B. NOUN FORMATION FROM ADJECTIVES

s/no Adjective	Noun
1. able	ability
2. active	activity
3. abundant	abundance
4. broad	breadth
5. busy	business
6. brave	bravely
7. brief	brevity
8. cheap	cheapness
9. civil	civility
10. curious	curiosity
11. calm	calmness
12. certain	certainty
13. coward	cowardice
14. deep	depth
15. dear	dearth
16. dense	density
17. equal	equality
18. fast	fastness
19. few	fewness
20. false	falsehood
21. fertile	fertility
22. frail	fraility
23. gallant	gallantry
24. generous	generosity
25. gay	gaiety
26. grand	grandeur
27. great	greatness
28. hard	hardness, hardship
29. holy	holiness
30. hot	heat
31. just	justice
32. happy	happiness
33. high	heght
34. honest	honesty
35. inferior	inferiority
36. local	locality
37. lame	lameness
38. long	length
39. mean	meanness
40. moist	moisture
41. merry	merriment
42. mortal	mortality
43. necessary	necessity
44. noble	nobility
45. new	newness
46. obedient	obedience
47. one	oneness
48. pious	piety
49. popular	popularity
50. proud	pride
51. pure	purity
52. poor	poverty
53. private	privacy
54. prudent	prudence
55. quick	quickness
56. real	reality
57. rival	rivalry
58. rich	richness
59. royal	royalty
60. rigid	rigidity
61. red	redness
62. round	roundness
63. safe	safety
64. severe	severity
65. solitary	solitude
66. splendid	splendour
67. stupid	stupidity
68. supreme	supremacy
67. stupid	stupidity
68. supreme	supremacy
69. sacred	secredness
70. scarce	scarcity
71. short	shortage, shortness
72. special	specialty
73. strong	slowness
74. slow	slowness
75. sweet	sweetness
76. timid	timidity
77. vacant	vacancy
78. weak	weakness
79. wide	width
80. young	youth

IC.FORMATION OF ABSTRACT NOUNS FROM COMMON NOUNS

S/No. Common	Abstract Noun
1. act	action
2. baby	babyhood
3. begger	beggary
4. coin	coinage
5. agent	agency
6. bond	bondage
7. child	childhood
8. creature	creation
9. friend	friendship
10. hero	heroism
11. infant	infancy
12. king	kingship
13. mother	motherhood
14. man	manhood
15. owner	ownership

2A. FORMATION OF VERBS FROM NOUNS

S/No Noun	Verb
1. apology	apologise
2. authority	authorise
3. bath	bathe
4. beauty	beautify
5. black	blacken
6. body	embody
7. breadth	broaden
8. battle	embattled
9. bed	imbed
10. blood	bleed
11. brass	braze
12. brood	breed
13. cage	encage
14. centre	concentrate
15. christ	christen
16. circle	encircle
17. cloth	clothe
18. colony	colonize
19. courage	encourage
20. custom	accustom
21. camp	encamp
22. character	characterize
23. class	classify
24. cloud	becloud
25. company	accompany
26. critic	criticise
27. deity	deify
28. drop	drip
29. danger	endanger
30. dew	bedew
31. electricity	electrify
32. economy	economize
33. example	exemplify
34. fame	feed
35. food	feed
36. force	enforce
37. friend	befriend
38. frost	freeze
39. femine	famish
40. fool	befool
41. fraud	defraud
42. fright	abode
45. glory	glorify
46. guile	beguile
47. glass	glaze
48. gold	abode
49. half	halve
50. harmony	harmonize
51. head	behead
52. horror	horrify
53. habit	habituate
54. hand	handle
55. haste	hasten
56. heir	inherit
57. idol	idolize
58. joy	enjoy
59. justice	justify
60. knee	kneel
61. knot	knit
62.magnety	magnetize
63. monopoly	monopolise
64. memory	memorise, commemorate
65. nature	naturalize
66. nation	nationalize
67, necessity	necessite
68. nest	nestle
69. neuter	neutralize
70. office	officiate
71. origin	originate
72. patron	patronize
73. population	populate
74. person	personate
75. power	empower
76. peace	pacify
77. peril	imperil
78. port	transport, import, export
79. prison	imprison
80. red	redden
81. right	rectify
82. sale	sell
83. shelf	shelve
84. snare	ensnare
85. spark	sparkle
86. sympathy	sympathize
87. sermon	sermonize
88. slave	enslave
89. society	associate
90. substance	substance
91. system	systematize
92. table	tabulate
93. terror	terrify
94. title	entitle
95. tale	tell
96. throne	enthrone, dethrone
97. tomb	entomb
98. utility	utilise
99. vapour	evaporate
100. vacancy	vacate
101. verse	versify
103. vigour	invigorate

• 2B. FORMATION OF VERBS FROM ADJECTIVES