The article deals with compound English adjectives defining person’s appearance and character. The role of word-composition and affixation is defined. In the article the compound adjectives have been considered semantically according to the connection between the components and the most frequent model of compound adjectives has been define

Baghana, J.

Kravchenko, O. N.

DSpace at Belgorod State University

World Applied Sciences Journal 30 (Management, Economics, Technology & Tourism): 47-50, 2014ISSN 1818-4952© IDOSI Publications, 2014DOI: 10.5829/idosi.wasj.2014.30.mett.69Corresponding Author: Jerom Baghana, Belgorod National Research University, Russia, 308015, Belgorod, Pobeda Street, 85.47Human Appearance and Nature Features Exemplified byEnglish Compound AdjectivesJerom Baghana and Olga Nikolaevna KravchenkoBelgorod National Research University, Russia, 308015, Belgorod, Pobeda Street, 85Abstract: The  article  deals with compound English adjectives defining person’s appearance and character.The role of word-composition and affixation is defined. In the article the compound adjectives have beenconsidered semantically according to the connection between the components and the most frequent modelof compound adjectives has been defined.Key words: Word-formation  Word-combination  Compound adjectives  Affixation  Person’sappearance and nature  Models of adjectivesINTRODUCTION language components. The other group is renewed andIn English object properties such as color, size, formation more directly than other linguistic systemstexture and other physical attributes can be described reflects all changes occurring in surrounding us reality.with adjectives. Compare this situation with the case for Compounding forms a word out of two or more rootterms labeling whole concrete objects; just about morphemes. The words are called compounds oruniversally,  with  only very minor quirks, these surface as compound words, i.e. words that are composed of morenouns cross-linguistically the linkage of form to meaning than one meaningful element. is quite transparent [1]. The learning task seems much Morphemes (minimal units of meaning) are of twomore formidable for property terms, as the learner cannot basic kinds: roots and affixes. While there is not anbegin with even a weak conjecture as to how they will be absolutely sharp dividing line between them, due to thelexicalized in the exposure language. Even in English, natural, gradual historical progression from root to affix,where there is a robust adjective category, it certainly there are various properties that typically cluster together,isn’t the case that all property descriptions surface under thus allowing us to distinguish the two types. For mostthis categorization (e.g. triangle is a noun, but means morphemes, it is clear which class they belong in. something “triangle-shaped”) or that adjectives alwaysdescribe properties (former, similar and mere are not Properties of roots:properties of the nominal concepts they modify). But A.Wierzbicka  links this to the fact that shape properties Main part of word (e.g. triangle, circle, square, etc.) delimit countable Must be at least one in a word entities and are thus good candidates for expression by In English, limited to two in a word (simple wordsnouns [2]. We will consider human appearance and nature have one, compound words have two); where rootsfeatures exemplified by English adjectives. The thing is are bound, as in Latin or Greek, more can occur in athe compound adjectives express the object’s properties word, but the number of roots in a particular word ismore exactly. In the article the ways how these adjectives generally small; are formed and their meanings are under consideration. Can occur independently (free roots) – althoughThe vocabulary of any language is renewed in two bound roots, particularly classical, occurways: words can be plagerized from the other languages, Tend to have richer, more specific semantic contentor created on determined patterns from available in Position is relatively free with respect to other roots.continues to be renewed by word-formation. The word-World Appl. Sci. J., 30 (Management, Economics, Technology & Tourism): 47-50, 201448Properties of affixes: The bases participating in word-formation can beSubordinate part of word not necessarily present – some words occur withoutanyMultiple affixes can occur in a word (e.g. in-divis-abil-ity)Are dependent (bound) elements (where independentform found, generally to some degree dissociatedfrom the bound version) Have more "schematic" (non-specific) content; oftengrammar-like function Can either precede or follow their roots ( prefixes andsuffixes, respectively) Position for a given affix with respect to root is fixed[3].The most common type of derivation is the additionof one or more affixes to a root. This process is calledaffixation, a term which covers both prefixation andsuffixation.We will address the questions of how derived andcompound adjectives are related to other words, which arethe relations between the components inside thecompounds and how the affixation and word-combinationallow speakers to create new words. One of the most interesting questions that arise fromthe study of affixed words is which mechanisms regulatethe distribution of affixes and bases. That is, what exactlyis responsible for the fact that some morphemes easilycombine with each other, whereas others do not? [4]MATERIALS AND METHODSThe article is devoted to the study of the person’sappearance and nature features exemplified by Englishcompound and derived adjectives. As actual material theexamples from fiction sources and dictionaries were used.Our purpose is to distinguish the ways of the adjectivesword-formation and classify them semantically. We alsotry to identify the most productive models of the givenadjectives.The most productive way of the compoundadjectives formation is the complex of affixation and word-combination.In these adjectives it is the suffix that forms a word(big-head-ed, kind-heart-ed) and two bases arecombined: an adjective and a noun (big+ head, kind +heart).root, complex or derived. Some complex adjectives areformed by combining two root bases (coal-black "blackas coal", snow-white “white as snow” and etc.) Acompound adjective is a modifier of a noun. It consists oftwo or more morphemes of which the left-hand componentlimits or changes the modification of the right-hand one.The complex adjectives are also formed as a result ofadding root and derived bases (sandy-haired "with hairof the sand colour", round-faced “with a round face”and etc.) and are equivalent to the word combinations(blear-eyed (with blear eyes); big-headed (with a bighead) and etc.).English suffix -åd derives adjectives with the generalmeaning ‘having X, being provided with X’. It can becombined only with the nouns bases. The majority ofderivatives cannot be divided to the components as theyhave the phraseological meaning (empty-headed, pig-headed, air-minded, fair-minded, broad-minded, pig-headed).We came to the conclusion that most compoundadjectives with the suffix –åd can be formed to describeperson’s appearance and character.Two other youths, oblique-eyed, dark-haired, rathersly-faced… [5]. For person’s appearance description the component–headed is used (black-headed, grey-headed, white-headed red-headed, shockheaded) as well as thecomponent -haired (short-haired, long-haired, grey-haired in the meaning “having some kind of hair”(colour, length )). But the component –headed in the combination witha simple adjective has formed a number of derivedadjectives with the metaphorical meaning (clear-headed,bright-headed, steady-headed, fuzzy-headed, wooly-headed, fat-headed empty-headed, thick-headed,wooden-headed, boneheaded, light-headed). With thehelp of these adjectives person’s intelligence is shown.She was Annie, a pretty, voluptuous, empty-headedgirl… [6].Get up, you fat-headed chunk! [7].As it is seen from the examples these adjectives areused in the informal style and they make the speech moreexpressive.Another group of derivatives describing person’sappearance is formed by the adjectives having themeanings “the shape of the face” (moon-faced, pug-faced,round-faced), “the skin of the face” (smooth-faced).World Appl. Sci. J., 30 (Management, Economics, Technology & Tourism): 47-50, 201449The point is some adjectives have metaphorical Another lexeme nature is equivalent to “temper”. meanings. For example the compound adjective red-headed has two different meanings: 1) having red hair or He begins with congratulations on the approachinga red head; 2) excitable, impetuous; hot-tempered nuptials of my eldest daughter, of which it seems he has(about person’s character) [8]. been told, by some of the good-natured, gossipingAnother example:This red blue-eyed, light-lashed, tow-haired face CONCLUSIONstuck… [7]The adjective blue-eyed can be referred as: 1. having Having done the analysis of compound and derivedblue eyes; 2. favored, preferred (the blue-eyed boy can adjectives exemplifying person’s appearance anddo no wrong) [8]. character features we can say that most adjectives haveSo the first meaning is direct and the second is an been formed as a result of the word-combination and theindirect one. derivation (affixation). There are some well-established permanentcompound adjectives with phraseological meanings which Summing Up: Some of the adjectives can be freelycannot be equivalent to the word-combinations (squint- derived in the speech and their meanings are equivalenteyed, silver-tongued, hard-mouthed, starry-eyed). to the word-combinations ones. But there are a number ofThough these adjectives include the components –eyed, adjectives with the phraseological meanings which cannot-mouthed they are not to define person’s appearance but be divided to the components and such derivatives arethe character. usually fixed by dictionaries (hard-mouthed, starry-eyed).There have been formed many adjectives As a result of our investigation we came to theexemplifying person’s nature features having conclusion that the most productive model of the givenmetaphorical  meanings (stony-hearted, lion-hearted, adjectives word-formation is the model of simultaneouschicken-hearted, simple-hearted , black-hearted, single- word-composition and affixation. The first component inhearted, stout-hearted, whole-hearted, soft-hearted, the derivatives can be an adjective or a noun: adj. (n) +hard-hearted, light-hearted, big-hearted, high-hearted, n + ed (black-haired, kind-heart-ed) and (raven-hair-ed,tender-hearted, hearty (warm-hearted and friendly), chicken-hearted). The second component is a based unitheartless). represented by a noun.We found a lot of examples motivated by the lexemes: The role of the noun as the left-hand component isheart (kind-hearted), soul - whole-souled (thoroughly the comparison with the word that gives associations andimbued with a right spirit; noble-minded; devoted), defines a correlative sign (raven-hair-ed with the meaningtemper (good-tempered), humour (good-humoured “having black hair as a raven”). Such comparatives are“having or showing a cheerful, friendly state of mind”), common for informal use and they have metaphoricalnature (good-natured (naturally kind, ready to help, to meanings.forgive, not to be angry)) with the meaning “human We  have  seen that words can be composed ofcharacter features”. smaller  meaningful  elements  and  we  have detectedHe was strong-willed and warm-hearted … [5]. these  elements  largely  by  following  our  intuition.I  am  not  a  whole-souled  admirer  of  womankind, While our intuition works nicely with rather unproblematicas  you  are  aware,  Watson,  but  my experience of life complex adjectives we found it possible to determine thehas taught me that there are few wives, having any rules that underlie the make - up of complex words inregard for their husbands, who would let any man's English.  For  example,  if  a  speaker  knows the meaningspoken word stand between them and that husband's of the right-hand component of the adjective representeddead body [9]. by a noun and the suffix -ed the meaning of theThe lexeme temper (a particular state or condition compound adjective can be easily identified, even if weof the mind) forms the group of adjectives (sharp- have never seen that word before. So there must be sometempered, short-tempered, sweet-tempered, good- kind of system in the speakers’ minds that is responsibletempered). for that.Lucases [10].World Appl. Sci. J., 30 (Management, Economics, Technology & Tourism): 47-50, 201450REFERENCES 5. Galsworthy, J., 2000. The Apple Tree // English1. Pinker, S., 1984. Language learnability and language 6. Follett, K., 1983. The Man from St. Petersburg. NY:development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University The New American Library, pp: 342.Pres. 7. Purcell, D., 1994. That Childhood Country. – NY:2. Wierzbicka, A., 1992. Semantics, culture and Penguin Books, pp: 559.cognition. Universal human concepts in culture - 8. Webster’s Third New International Dictionary of thespecific configurations / A. Wierzbicka. NY.: Oxford: English Language Unabridged, 1993. Chicago: AOxford University Press, VIH, pp: 487. Merriam-Webster, pp: 3136.3. Words in English: Structure, History, Use 9. TheFreeDictionary.com [Electronic resource], 2009.Linguistics/English 215 Fall [Electronic resource], Farlex, Incorporated, Mode of access:2013. - Mode of access: http://www.ruf.rice.edu/ http://www.thefreedictionary.~kemmer/Words04/structure/index.html#form. 10. Austen, J., 1994. Pride and Prejudice. London:4. Ingo Plag, 2002. Word-formation in English Penguin Books, pp: 304.Universität Siegen Cambridge University Press,Series ‘Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics”.Stories, M.: Manager, 3: 3-76.

Human appearance and nature features exemplified by English compound adjectives

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Human appearance and nature features exemplified by English compound adjectives

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