"Nonmorphological Derivations" and the Four Main English Learner's Dictionaries

Geart Van Der Meer

doi:10.5788/11-0-852

Abstract

This article addresses the problem of nonmorphological derivations in English and its consequences for pedagogical lexicography, i.e. learner's dictionaries. The term nonmorpholo- gical derivation refers to cases such as sun — solar, moon — lunar, cat — feline, and in general to all cases where instead of, or in addition to, native derivational processes (sunny, moony, catty) English frequently uses borrowings especially from Romanic sources (Latin/French) and from Greek. The paper suggests that for such cases learner's dictionaries should give more active guidance and sup- port, in view of the fact that many foreign learners will be from linguistic backgrounds where dif- ferent, more native morphological processes are more common. An appendix lists the major exam- ples of such derivatives.

Highlights

Opsomming: "Niemorfologiese afleidings" en die vier vernaamste Engelse aanleerderswoordeboeke
Take for example the adjective to the Dutch noun koning "king", which is koninklijk "royal, regal". This adjective is semantically clearly motivated and comparatively transparent, because it is morphologically largely nonopaque,3 whereas the English near-equivalents royal and regal are not, though the -al suffix to some extent does at least suggest that the words are adjectives
The fact that English, in addition, has the transparently derived adjective kingly demonstrates on the one hand the richness of the English vocabulary, and on the other hand the choices with which the speakers of English, and especially the nonnative ones, are confronted

Summary

Introduction1

As is well-known, unites strands of vocabulary from many sources, due to the checquered political, social, cultural and linguistic history. How can learners speaking Dutch, German or any other language that far less often than English uses Latin and Greek "derivations", find their way from sun to solar, moon to lunar, etc. In other cases certain jumps are made possible from the Anglo-Saxon derived "Nonmorphological Derivations" and the Four Main English Learner's Dictionaries 255 form to the foreign "derived" adjective, as in the case of eatable, where both OALD and CIDE cross-refer the user to edible.

Suggestions for improvement

Conclusion

See Fill 1980

Dictionaries

Other sources