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MAIN PRINCIPLES OF CLASSIFICATION OF AFFIXES
Tursunova Mushtariy
Introduction
Affixation, as a central morphological process in language, plays a pivotal role
in word formation. The classification of affixes is essential for understanding the
structure of words and the dynamics of linguistic productivity. Linguists have proposed
several principles for categorizing affixes based on their form, function, position, and
origin. This article seeks to explore the main principles of affix classification through
both traditional and modern linguistic perspectives.
1. Positional Principle
One of the most common and straightforward ways to classify affixes is based
on their position relative to the root or base word. This approach divides affixes into:
- Prefixes – attached at the beginning (e.g., un- in undo)
- Suffixes – attached at the end (e.g., -ness in happiness)
- Infixes – inserted within a root (rare in English, but common in some
Austronesian languages)
- Circumfixes – affixes that appear both before and after the root (found in
languages like German or Malay)
- Interfixes – elements that link roots in compounds (e.g., -o- in speedometer)
This classification is essential in morphological parsing and structural analysis.
2. Functional (Grammatical vs Derivational) Principle
Affixes may also be divided based on their function in grammar and word
formation:
- Derivational affixes – create new words by changing the meaning or category
of a base (e.g., happy → unhappy, create → creation)
- Inflectional affixes – indicate grammatical relationships without altering the
word class (e.g., walk → walked, cat → cats)
This distinction is crucial in understanding how languages encode syntactic and
semantic information.
3. Semantic Principle
Some scholars focus on the semantic role of affixes. For instance:
- Negative (e.g., in-, un-)
- Diminutive (e.g., -let, -y)
- Augmentative (e.g., mega-)
- Pejorative (e.g., -ard in drunkard)
- Gender-marking (e.g., -ess in actress)
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This classification helps linguists and language learners understand the meaning
encoded in affixation.
4. Origin or Etymological Principle
Affixes can also be categorized based on their origin. For example:
- Native affixes – originated within the language (e.g., -ness, -ful)
- Borrowed affixes – adopted from Latin, Greek, or other languages (e.g., anti-,
-ology)
Understanding the etymology of affixes aids in deciphering word meanings and
building vocabulary, especially in academic and scientific contexts.
5. Productivity Principle
Affixes vary in their ability to generate new words. On this basis, they can be
classified as:
- Highly productive affixes – widely used in new word formation (e.g., -ness,
un-)
- Semi-productive affixes – used in limited or genre-specific contexts (e.g., -ette)
- Unproductive affixes – no longer form new words but persist in existing
vocabulary (e.g., -th in width)
Productivity analysis helps linguists track language change and innovation.
6. Phonological Principle
This principle classifies affixes based on how they affect the phonological
structure of a word:
- Stress-shifting affixes (e.g., -ity in electric → electricity)
- Neutral affixes (e.g., -ness in kind → kindness)
- Allomorphic behavior – when an affix changes form based on phonological
context (e.g., -s in cats, dogs, horses)
Such classification is essential in phonological modeling and morphophonemics.
Conclusion
The classification of affixes is not a mere technicality but a window into the
cognitive and functional mechanisms of language. The principles outlined above offer
a multidimensional understanding of affixation, each illuminating a different facet of
morphological structure. An integrated approach that considers positional, functional,
semantic, etymological, productive, and phonological perspectives enables a more
holistic grasp of affixes in any language.
References
1. Bauer, L. (2003). Introducing Linguistic Morphology. Edinburgh University Press.
2. Katamba, F. (1993). Morphology. Macmillan.
3. Plag, I. (2003). Word-Formation in English. Cambridge University Press.
4. Lieber, R. (2009). Introducing Morphology. Cambridge University Press.
5. Aronoff, M., & Fudeman, K. (2011). What is Morphology? Wiley-Blackwell.
T A D Q I Q O T L A R
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6. Crystal, D. (2008). A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics. Blackwell Publishing.
7. Matthews, P. H. (1991). Morphology. Cambridge University Press.
