论英语复合词词性类型及其认知动因与功能

Types of part of speech of English compounds and their cognitive motivations and functions

复合构词法一般指两个或两个以上的自由语素相加而成为复合词。鉴于近期有学者提出的关涉英语复合构词之命题不甚谨严或完善,我们则在现代语言学框架中论证如下三个新命题:其一,涉及黏着词根的复合构词在英语中也客观存在;其二,无论从构成类型或存在数量上看,英语复合形容词与复合副词都并不为少;其三,英语复合词类型并不单一,而是相当丰富。除复合名词、形容词、副词外,还有复合动词、代词、数词、介词、连词等类型。英语复合词之构建乃受满足意义表达需要及丰富表达方式等内在动因所驱使,多种类型的英语复合词在人类的实际语言使用中发挥着难以替代的交际与认知功能。

Compounding,the combination of two or more free morphemes into compounds,is an important means of word-formation in English.This paper attempts to demonstrate the following three new propositions:first,compound word formation involving bound roots has objective existence in English;second,the number of compound adjectives and adverbs in English is not small;third,the types of English compounds are not single,but quite rich.In addition to compound nouns,adjectives and adverbs,there are also compound verbs,pronouns,numerals,prepositions,conjunctions,and the number of these compounds is considerably large.They really play irreplaceably communicative and cognitive functions in human’s actual speech and expression of ideas and thoughts.