Elective course: Word formation 3200-L2-PF-SŁO
This course deals with English word-formation and, for comparison, other word-formation systems. The following word-formation categories are discussed: prefixation, suffixation and compounding. Meanders of prefixation, suffixation and compounding are interpreted from the semantic point of view. Students are familiarized with morphological productivity. The grammatical correctness of many formations depends on various contextual factors. Extralinguistic factors motivating the rise of neologisms are a common theme in this course.
The major theme of this course is the conviction that word-formation is to a large extent based on different constructional patterns. Such schemas show degrees of concreteness (or abstractness). The most productive processes are based on the most detailed patterns. During this course, students discover word-formation patterns, indispensable in their further work on English and other languages.
As a "discussion class", this course has a distinctly oral character. Students are expected to participate in class regularly and actively.
The student’s work/time involvement:
30 hrs. – class attendance
30 hrs. – individual work:
i.e. small research/ class presentation no 1 (5 hrs.); large research/ class presentation no 2 (15 hrs.); literature review (10 hrs.)
If classroom instruction is impossible, the meetings will be conducted by means of distance communication tools, most probably Google Meet and those recommended by the University.
Type of course
Mode
Prerequisites (description)
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course the student possesses:
- the knowledge of word-formation processes in English and in other languages
and can:
- show and explain the differences between these processes
- indicate productive and unproductive word-formation processes
- predict the well-formedness of a given complex word
- indicate its morphological components
- create the right context for neologisms
- determine ways of translating complex words
Assessment criteria
- class attendance checked (2 absences per semester allowed)
- active participation in class
End-of-semester grade.
1st round:
1. class presentation no 1 - 30% of final grade
2. class presentation no 2 - 50% of final grade
3. active participation in class debates - 20% of final grade
2nd round:
the same requirements as in the 1st round
Practical placement
Not applicable.
Bibliography
Bauer, Laurie. 2003. Introducing Linguistic Morphology (2nd revised edition). Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.
Szymanek, Bogdan. 1999. Introduction to Morphological Analysis. Warsaw: PWN.
Twardzisz, Piotr. 2010. Patterns of English Word-formation. Warsaw: Dept. of Specialist Languages, University of Warsaw.
Twardzisz, Piotr. 2023. English Complex Words. Exercises in construction and translation. Amsterdam/ Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
Selected scholarly articles.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: