UNIT II

VOCABULARY BULIDING

DEFINATION OF VOCABULARY:

Vocabulary (from the Latin for "name," also called wordstock, lexicon,

and lexis) refers to all the words in a language that are understood by a particular
person or group of people.

There are two main types of vocabulary: Active and Passive.

 An active vocabulary consists of the words we understand and use in

everyday speaking and writing.
 Passive vocabulary is made up of words that we may recognize but don't
generally use in the course of normal communication.

WORD FORMATION:

What is the root word?

A root word is a word that forms the basis of new words by adding affixes
(prefixes or suffixes). It is the most basic part of any word. 
The basic structure of roots are either affixed or suffixed and then they become a
new word. An understanding of the usual root words will help make a good guess
about the meaning of newly known words and will, in turn, strengthen your
vocabulary.

Some Common Root Words in English :

There are certain root words that form a standalone word of its own or as part of
other common words in the English language. Given below are some common
English words that are root words as well:

 Act – meaning – to move or do, other English words-  actor, acting, reenact
 Crypt – Meaning – to hide, other English words –  cryptic, apocryphal,
cryptography
 Ego – meaning – Self-importance, Other words formed of it egotist,
egocentric, egomaniac
  Legal – meaning – related to the law, other words in English – illegal,
legalities, paralegal
 Form – meaning – shape, words formed from it – conform, reform,
formulate
 Phobia – meaning – fear – words formed from this root word are already
discussed above.
 Norm – meaning – typical, other English words – abnormal, paranormal,
normality.

The Formation of Words has few rules which determine the nature of the words
formed thus.
Words can be classified into four types as follows:

1. Primary Words.
2. Compound Words
3. Primary Derivatives
4. Secondary Derivatives

1. Primary Words:

Words which are not derived or compounded or developed from other words are
called Primary Words.
They belong to the original stocks of the words.

Examples:

Most of the words in English language are only Primary Words.

Moon, sun, day, night, month, school, boy, girl, road, write, go sit, walk, net, dash,
dot, book, pin, he, she, it etc…

A Primary Word may be of the type of noun, verb, adjective, pronoun, adverb etc.
2. Compound Words:

The Compound Words are formed by joining two or more Primary Words.

Examples:

Moonlight, undertake, nevertheless, man-of-war, misunderstanding etc…

This way the Compound Words are formed.

A Compound Word may be of the type of noun, verb, adjective, pronoun, adverb,
conjunction, preposition etc…

An addition to the beginning of a word is a Prefix.

An addition to the end of word is a Suffix.

Compound Words are the most part Nouns, Adjectives and Verbs

Examples of Compound Words of Nouns, Adjectives and Verbs are formed.

Compound Words-Nouns:

Compound Words-Nouns may be formed:

I. Noun + Noun:
Examples:
• Moonlight
• Armchair
• Postman
• Railway
• Shoemaker
• Windmill
• Teaspoon
• Haystack
• Ringleader
• Jailbird
• Horse-power
• Screwdriver
• Tax-payer
• Airman
• Manservant
• Fire-escape
• Chess-board

II . Adjective + Noun:
Examples:
• Sweetheart
• Nobleman
• Shorthand
• Blackboard
• Quicksilver
• Stronghold
• Halfpenny

III. Verb + Noun:

Examples:
• Spendthrift
• Makeshift
• Breakfast
• Telltale
• Pick-packet
• Cut-throat
• Daredevil
• Hangman
• Scarecrow
IV. Gerund + Noun:
Examples:
• Drawing-room
• Writing-desk
• Looking-glass
• Walking-stick
• Blotting-paper
• Stepping-stone
• Spelling-book

V. Adverb (or Preposition)+ Noun:

Examples:
• Outlaw
• Afternoon
• Forethought
• Foresight
• Overcoat
• Downfall
• Afternoon
• Bypass
• Inmate
• Inside

VI. Verb + Adverb:

Examples:
• Drawback
• Lock-up
• Go-between
• Die-hard
• Send-off

VII. Adverb + Verb:

Examples:
• Outset
• Upkeep
• Outcry
• Income
• Outcome

Compound Words-Adjectives:

I. Noun + Adjectives (or Participle):

Examples:
• Blood-red
• Sky-blue
• Snow-white
• Pitch-dark
• Breast-high
• Skin-deep
• Lifelong
• World-wide
• Headstrong
• Homesick
• Stone-blind
• Seasick
• Love-lorn
• Hand-made
• Bed-ridden
• Heart-broken
• Moth-eaten
• Note-worthy

II. Adjective + Adjective:

Examples:
• Red-hot
• Blue-black
• White-hot
• Dull-grey
• Lukewarm
III. Adverb + Participle:
Examples:
• Longsuffering
• Everlasting
• Never-ending
• Thorough-bred
• Well-deserved
• Outspoken
• Down-hearted
• Inborn
• Far-seen

IV. Noun + Verb:

• Waylay
• Backbite
• Typewrite
• Browbeat
• Earmark v.

V. Adjective + Verb:
Examples:
• Safeguard
• Whitewash
• Fulfill

VI. Adverb + Verb:

Examples:
• Overthrow
• Overtake
• Foretell
• Undertake
• Undergo
• Overhear
• Overdo
• Outbid
• Outdo
• Upset
• Ill-use

Remember :
In most Compound Words, it is the first word which modifies the meaning of the
second word. The accent is placed upon the modifying word when the
amalgamation is complete. When the two elements are only partially blended, a
hyphen is put between the two words and the accent fall equally on both of them.

3. Primary Derivatives:

These words are formed by making some changes in the body of the Primary
Words.

• Bond from bind

• Breach from break
• Wrong from wring

The most important class of words formed by internal changes consists of the past
tenses of the Primary Words. Those past tense-words are not treated as
Derivatives.

I. Formation of Nouns from Verbs:

Examples:
• Choice from choose
• Bliss from bless
• Chip from chop
• Breach from break
• Dole from deal
• Dike from dig
• Fleet from float
• Doom from deem
• Bier from bear
• Watch from wake
• Seat from sit
• Gap from gape
• Girth from gird
• Grief from grieve
• Woof from weave

II. Formation of Nouns from Adjectives:

Examples:
• Dolt from dull
• Heat from hot
• Pride from proud

III. Formation of Adjectives from Verbs:

Examples:
• Fleet from float
• Low from lie

IV. Formation of Adjectives from Nouns:

Examples:
• Milch from milk
• Wise from wit

V. Formation of Verbs from Nouns:

Examples:
• Bathe from bath
• Bleed from blood
• Believe from belief
• Breathe from breath
• Breed from brood
• Clothe from cloth
• Drip from drop
• Feed from food
VI. Formation of Adjectives from Verbs:
Examples:
• Cool from chill
• Hale from heal

VII. Formation of Nouns from Verbs:

Examples:
• Gold from gild
• Grass from graze
• Half from halve
• Knot from knit
• Sale from sell
• Sooth from soothe
• Tale from tell
• Thief from thieve
• Wreath from wreathe

4. Secondary Derivatives:

Secondary derivatives of a word are formed by adding either a prefix or a suffix to

the word.

An addition to the beginning of a word is a Prefix.

An addition to the end of word is a Suffix.

Examples:
• Income is a secondary derivative of the word ‘word’.
• Here the addition ‘in’ is a prefix.

• Undergo is a secondary derivative of the word ‘go’.

• Here the addition ‘under’ is a prefix.

• Friendship is a secondary derivative of the word friend.

• Here the addition ‘ship’ is a suffix.
• Darkness is a secondary derivative of the word ‘dark’.
• Here the addition ‘ness’ is a suffix.