Prefixation in the English language and its role in enriching the English vocabulary

Prefixes modify the lexical meaning of the stem, but in so doing they seldom affect its basic lexico-grammatical component. Therefore both the simple word and its prefixed derivative mostly belong to the same part of speech.

Ex: mis; behave (v) - misbehave (v) calculate (v) - miscalculate (v) inform (v) - misinform (v) lead (v) - mislead (v) pronounce (v) - mispronounce (v)

There may be other cases where semantic relationship is slightly different but the General lexico-grammatical meaning remain.

Ex: giving - misgiving

take - mistake trust - mistrust

The prefix pre-, post- refer to time

Ex: historic - prehistoric

pay - prepay

view - preview

The group of negative prefixes is so numerous that some scholars even find it convenient to classify prefixes into negative and non-negative ones. They are: de-, dis-, in-, im-, H-, ir-. Амосова H.H. - «Этимологические основы словарного состава современного английского языка» М. 1956

Ex: de-; decentralize

decontaminate

denasify

dis-; disagree

disappear

disgorge

dishouse

non-; noninterference

nonsense

nonre

si

stance

noncommissioned

noncombatant

un-; unhappy

unkind

uneven

uncommon

unimportant

unbind

undo

unmask

unpack

re-; rearrange recast reinstate remarriage reassembled rerecieved reseen

a-; aboard asleep awake

The prefixes pre-, post-, non-, anti- and some other Romanic and Greek prefixes very productive in present day English serve to form adjectives retaining at the same time a very clear cut lexical meaning;

Ex: antiwar

prewar

postwar

nonparty

Now we shall compare some examples in Uzbek language.

Ex: бе-; бебош

бенамоз

бехаё

берахм

бефахм

бефаросат

беками куст

бенасиб

беухшов

бепул

беномус

бетамиз

но-; ножуя

нохуш

номаълум

ноурин

нокулай

ноилож

сер-; серхосил

сердаромад

сермазмун

сергап

серунум

серуруг

ба-; бамаъни

бамаслахат

бахамжихат

бамайлихотир

бадавлат

басавлат

ним-; нимжон

нимранг

нимхол

нимтатир

By their origin the Uzbek affixes like English one are divided into native and borrowed. Some Uzbek prefixes 60-, но-, ба- are borrowed origin.

As compared with the Uzbek language the negative affixes are more widely used in English. Though the number of Uzbek prefixes are few they are capable of changing words from one part of speech into another.

Ex: адаб (n) - боадаб (adj)

хосил (n) - серхосил (adj)

илож (n) - ноилож (adj)

бахт (n) - бебахт (adj)

ранг (n) - нимранг (adj)

So in conclusion we can say that in Uzbek language in many cases, mostly prefixes form adjectives from noun. In the English language from verb is formed verb;

to do (v) - undo (v)

to trust (v) - mistrust (v)

from noun is formed verb

house (n) - dishouse (v)

from noun is formed noun

sense (n) - nonsense (n)

from adjective is formed adjective

historic (adj) - prehistoric (adj)

from verb is formed noun

take (v) - mistake (n) and so on.

CONCLUSION

So, new investigations into the problem of prefixation in English showed interesting results. It appears that the traditional opinion, current among linguists that prefixes modify only the lexical meaning of words without, changing the part of speech is not quite correct. In English there are about twenty five prefixes which can transfer words to a different part of speech.

There are some linguists' who treat prefixes as a part of word composition. They think that a prefix has the same function as the first component of a compound word. Other linguists consider prefixes as derivational affixes which differ essentially from root morphemes and stems. From the point of view of their origin affixes may be native and borrowed.

The Comparative analyses of the English language with other languages showed that English language is not so rich in suffixes as, for example, the Uzbek language. As compared with the Uzbek language the negative affixes are more widely used in English.

So my task was to study thoroughly affixation in English.

Affixation (prefixation and suffixation) is the formation of the words by adding derivational affixes (prefixes and suffixes) to bases.

There are quite a number of polysemantic, homonymous and synonymous derivational affixes in Modern English.

Classification of derivational affixes are based on different principles such as:

the part of speech formed;

the lexico-grammatical character of the stem the affix is added to;

its meaning;

the degree of productivity;

the origin of the affix (native or borrowed) etc.

The productivity of derivational affixes is relative and conditioned by various factors.

Many of the Modern English derivational affixes were at one time independent words. Others have always been known as suffixes or prefixes within the history of the English vocabulary. Some of them are of international currency.

In comparative analyses of the English language with other language showed that the English language is not so rich in suffixes as, for example, the Uzbek language. But prefixation is more typical to the English language. In Uzbek prefixes are so few, but they are capable of changing words from one part of speech into another and so on.

Affixation is the formation of words with the help of derivational affixes. Affixation is subdivided into prefixation and suffixation.

If derivational morphemes added before the stem of a word are called prefixes.

Ex: un-like dis-like

If derivational morphemes added after the stem of the word are called suffixes.

Ex: law-ful, hand-ful

So, in conformity with the division of derivational affixes into suffixes and prefixes affixation is subdivided into suffixation and prefixation. Word like reappearance, unreasonable are generally qualified as prefixal-suffixal derivatives.

In Modern English suffixation is characteristic of noun and adjective formation (суффикс билан одатда Инглиз тилида от ва сифат ясалади). While prefixation is typical of verb formation (префикслар билан одатда феъл ясалади).

As a rule, prefixes modify the lexical meaning of stems to which they are added. A prefixal derivative usually joins the part of speech the unprefixed word belongs to.

Ex: un-usual from usual

in-definite from definite dis-comfort from comfort

As we told above that derivational suffixes are always divided into noun forming, adjective forming, etc.

Prefixes, however, are treated differently. They are subdivided into several classes in accordance with their origin, meaning or function and never accordance to the part of speech formed.

Prefixes may be classified on different principles. Diachronically distinction is made between prefixes of native and foreign origin. Synchronically prefixes are classified according to the meaning they convey to be derived word.

The following groups of prefixes may be distinguished:

a) Prefixes of negative meaning, such as: un-, in-, dis- and some others, Ex: ungrateful (grateful)

incorrect (correct) disadvantage (advantage), etc.

b) Prefixes denoting reversal repetition of an action, such as un-, dis-, re-, and some others,

Ex: to unfasten (to fasten) disconnect (to connect) to rewrite (to write), etc.;

c) Prefixes denoting space and time relations, such as fore-, pre-, over-, super-and some others,

Ex: to foresee (to see) pre-historic (historic) post-position (position), etc.

Within the scope of the part of speech classification prefixes naturally may fall into several groups, such as:

prefixal verbs:

prefixal adiectives:

prefixal noun:

to enrich, to coexist. uneasy, anti-war. ex-champion, co-author.

Affixes may be divided into dead and living. 1) Dead affixes are those which are no longer felt in Modern English as component parts of words. They can be singled out only by an etymological analyses. (Бундай аффикслар билан суз ясаб булмайди, улар улик аффикслар хисобланишади.)

Ex: -d in deed, seed -t in fight, gift

2) Living affixes may be easily singled out from a word: Ex: good-ness free-dom child-hood

Living affixes are traditionally divided into productive and nonproductive.

1) Productive affixes are those which are characterized by their ability to make new words.

Ex: -er, -ism, -ish, -ing, -ness, -ation, -ry, and etc.

2) Non productive are those which are not used to form new words in Modern English. The following prefixes are non-productive ones.

Ex: in-, ir-, mis-, dis- and so on. indiscreet, irregular.

There are not so many prefixes in Uzbek (about 8-9) but they are capable changing words from one part of speech into another.

Ex: сер-, бе-, ба-, но-, ним- and so on.

серхосил (adj) (from хосил - noun)

бехаё (adj) (from хаё - noun)

The productive prefixes in the English language are the following:

anti-, non-, re-, un- and so on.

antiwar

nongovernment

rewrite, rearrange

undo, unbind, unpack and so on

Prefixation is more typical to the English language than Uzbek Prefixes.

The list of used literature

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