Derivational Affixes Theoretical Framework
derivational affixes. This reflects a recognition of two principal word building process: inflectional and derivational Katamba, 1993: 47. Both are forming
word in different ways. Inflectional is traditionally regarded as change in the grammatical or morphosytactic form of word lexeme. While, derivational is
concerning with the formation of new lexeme by affixation Spencer, 1991: 193. In linguistic, derivation is formation of a new word or inflectional stem
from another word or stem. Certain bound morphemes change the category of the words to which they are attached as these words: doubtful, establishment, darken,
frighten and teacher. Derivational is used to form a new word, as with happiness and unhappy from happy or arrangement from arrange. A contrast is intended
with process of inflection, which uses another kind of affix in order to form variants of the same word, likes determining, determined, and determines.
Finnegan 2003:43 said that derivational morphemes produce new word from existing word in two ways. They can change the meaning of the words: true
versus untrue: paint versus repaint. Or they can change a words lexical category: true is an adjective, truly an adverb, truth a noun. Katamba 1993:47 also
explains that derivational morphemes form new words either: 1.
By changing the meaning of the base to which they are attached,
kind vsunkind. both are adjectives but with opposite meanings, or
2. By changing the word-class that a base belong to, e.g. the addition of -ly to
the adjective kind produce the adverb kind -ly. As rule, it is possible to derive an adverbs by adding the suffix
–lyto an adjectival base.
The presence of a derivational affix causes a major grammatical change, involving moving the base from one word-class into another as in the case of
–less which a noun into an adjective. In other cases, the change caused by derivational
suffix may be minor. It may merely shift a base to a different sub-class within the same broader word-class.
Mostly, the derivational morphemes are affixes. An affix is a morpheme which only occurs when attached to some other morpheme or morpheme such as a
root or stem or base Katamba, 1993: 44. On the other said affixes are morphemes that cannot stand alone or bound morphemes. English derivational
adds morphemes principally by prefixing or suffixing. English derivational prefixes are added at the beginning of a word. English
derivational prefixes typically change the meaning of a word but not its lexical category. There are many kinds of prefixes likes re-, un-, in-, dis-, mis-, ex-, en-,
im-, il-, sub-, tele-, hyper-, neo-, inter-, kilo-, mega-, mini-, fore-, co-, bi-, auto-, counter-, anti-, poly-, under-, super- and etc.
Some example of English derivational prefixes:
Kinds of Prefix Prefix
Class of the origin word
Meaning Class of the
new word Example
In- Adj
Not Adj
Inaccurate Un-
Adj Not
Adj Unkind
Un- V
Reversive V
Untie
Dis- V
Reversive V
Discontinue Dis-
N Not
N Disorder
Dis- Adj
Not Adj
Dishonest Dis-
V Not
V Disapprove
Re- V
Again V
Rewrite Ex-
N Former
N Ex-mayor
En Put
N Encage
English derivational suffixes are added to the tail end of a stem Finnegan, 2008: 46. Usually, derivational suffixes change the lexical category of the stem,
for example the suffix –mentchange verb into noun government. But not every
word can belonging to the lexical category with derivational process for example rust and book. There four kinds of derivational suffixes, they are derivational
suffixes forming noun, derivational suffixes forming adjectives, derivational suffixes forming verb and derivational suffixes forming adverb.
Some example of English derivational suffixes: Kinds of Suffix
Suffix Class of the
origin words Meaning
Class of the new words
Example -hood
N Status
N Childho
od -ship
N State or
condition N
Kingship -ness
Adj Quality, state
or condition N
Kindnes s
-ity Adj
State or condition
N Sincerity
-ment V
Result of doing the
verb indicates N
Govern ment
-less N
Without Adj
Powerles
s -ful
N Having
Adj Powerful
-ic N
Pertaining to Adj Democra
tic -al
V Pertaining to
or act of N
Refusal -er
V Agent who
does the verb indicates
N Reader
-ly Adv
Manner Adv
Kindly