6.2 Word formation: prefixes, suffixes, and compounds

Old English word formation is a fascinating system of building and modifying words. Prefixes and suffixes play a crucial role, attaching to words to change their meaning or function. This process allows for the creation of new words and the adaptation of existing ones.

Compound words in Old English combine multiple words to form new ones with distinct meanings. Understanding how these elements work together is key to grasping the language's vocabulary and structure. It's a creative process that reflects the rich linguistic heritage of Old English.

Word Formation in Old English

Role of prefixes and suffixes

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• Prefixes modify meaning by attaching to the beginning of a word (ge-, un-, be-)
  • ge- intensifies meaning or forms past participles (gesewen - seen)
  • un- negates the meaning (ungōd - bad, evil)
  • be- intensifies meaning or changes the word's function (bebēodan - to command)
• Suffixes modify meaning or change word class by attaching to the end of a word
  • Inflectional suffixes indicate grammatical categories like case, number, gender, tense
    • -a marks nominative singular (cyning - king)
    • -um marks dative plural (cynigum - to/for kings)
    • -de marks past tense (lufode - loved)
  • Derivational suffixes change word class or modify meaning
    • -ness forms abstract nouns (gōdnes - goodness)
    • -lic forms adjectives (gāstlic - spiritual)
    • -ian forms verbs (lufian - to love)
• Prefixes and suffixes enable creation of new words and modification of existing ones

Structure of compound words

• Compound words combine two or more words to create a new word with a distinct meaning
  • Noun compounds combine two nouns (stānhūs - stone house)
  • Adjective compounds combine adjective + noun or noun + adjective (cwicseolfor - quicksilver, mercury)
  • Verb compounds combine verb + noun or noun + verb (wīndrincende - wine-drinking)
• Meaning of a compound word relates to but differs from meanings of individual components
• Analyzing compound words involves:
  1. Breaking down the compound into constituent parts
  2. Identifying word class of each component
  3. Considering relationship between components and how they contribute to overall meaning

Creation of new words

• Applying prefixes involves selecting an appropriate prefix and attaching it to the base word
  • "lēas" (without) + "ge-" = "gelēas" (deprived of)
• Applying suffixes involves choosing a suffix that aligns with desired word class or meaning change and attaching it to the base word
  • "hāl" (whole, healthy) + "-ig" = "hālig" (holy)
• Creating compound words involves identifying words that, when combined, convey the desired meaning and joining them together
  • "heofon" (heaven) + "candel" (candle) = "heofoncandel" (sun, literally "heaven-candle")
• When creating new words, ensure components are grammatically and semantically compatible, follow established patterns and conventions, and be mindful of potential changes in spelling or pronunciation