Derivation and Inflection

Name             : Magvirah Octasary

ID Number  : A 121 10 021

A.   DERIVATION

Derivation is the process of creating a new word out of one or more old words, either by adding a prefix or suffix or by compounding.

·         "Morphology may be divided into derivation--rules that form a new word out of old words, likeduckfeathers and unkissable--and inflection--rules that modify a word to fit its role in a sentence, what language teachers call conjugation and declension."(Steven Pinker, Words and Rules: The Ingredients of Language. Basic Books, 1999)

·         "Derivational morphology studies the principles governing the construction of new words, without reference to the specific grammatical role a word might play in a sentence. In the formation of drinkable from drink, or disinfect from infect, for example, we see the formation of new words, each with its own grammatical properties. "(David Crystal, How Language Works. Overlook Press, 2005)

·         "Derivational prefixes do not normally alter the word class of the base word; that is, a prefix is added to a noun to form a new noun with a different meaning.

a.     patient: outpatient

b.     group: subgroup

c.      trial: retrial

·           Derivational suffixes, on the other hand, usually change both the meaning and the word class; that is, a suffix is often added to a verb or adjective to form a new noun with a different meaning:

a.     Adjective = dark      darkness

b.     Verb =  agree       agreement

c.      Noun = friend     friendship"

B.   INFLECTION

Inflection is a process of word formation in which items are added to the base form of a word to express grammatical meanings. Inflection in English include

·         The genitive ‘s

·         The plural –s

·         The third person singular –s

·         The past tense –d, -ed, or –t

·         The negative participle ‘nt: -ing forms of verb

·         The comparative –er

·         The superlative –est

Example of Inflection

Book        Books (plural marker)

Write       Writes (third person singular)

Book        Booked (past marker)

Small       Smaller / Smallest (comparative/superlative)