英語的詞彙兒, 數量很大. 由於其開放性, 廣納世界各國語言的詞彙. 英語的詞彙總量, 現如今已經超過了100萬個, 並以每年超過2,000個速度增長. 而且, 專用詞兒多, 都是互不相干的詞彙.
英語的詞彙特點是單詞多而散, 也就是詞面與詞義脫離. 用數學的術語(terminology or jargon)來說, 叫離散性(discrete). 不僅詞彙本身看不出其意思, 而且一組關聯的詞們之間沒有關聯關係(cross relation).
而中文是組合詞為主. 基本上從詞面可以得到詞義, 例如: 汽車, 轎車, 吉普車, 敞篷車等, 中文的詞彙結構有很好的描述性和自我解釋的特徵.
我們中國人, 習慣了漢語詞彙的描述性, 在學習英語時, 英語詞彙記憶上和聯想上, 困難和困擾尤其突出.
觀察英語轎車詞彙, 我可以得出下列結論:
作為字母(letter)文字, 其單詞描述性不好! 幾乎沒有描述性.
但是簡單, 分的細, 準確, 且都需要背.
中文詞彙的描述性好, 有自我解釋能力, 而英語不是.
Limousine, coupe, estate 都是法語詞兒, sedan拉丁語詞兒, wagon荷蘭語詞兒.
在汽車的分類詞彙中, 更是明顯: car, 轎車; bus,公共汽車; truck, 卡車, ambulance, 救護車; coupe, 兩門跑車; tractor, 拖拉機; 等等……
經常有學員問, 蘇老師, 這英文單詞兒, 怎麼都互相沒有什麼關係, 這麼難記憶呀?
很多事兒, 是矛盾體. 語言是一群人共同溝通的工具. 任何語言都有一定之規. 英語也是一樣,其的大多數詞彙也有一定的結構, 基本詞/lexicon, 又叫詞根/root, morpheme (M), 或詞素.
前綴suffix (S), 後綴affix(A). 以構成新英文詞兒. 具體的結構如下:
等等…, 前面加綴, 後面掛綴, 前面綴了, 後面可以再綴, 綴了還可以再綴~!
英語的詞源混雜: 參見文章: 英語詞彙的混雜來源
前綴/Suffix
英語單詞的前綴改變詞義, 同樣的詞根(root), 詞素(lexicon)或者叫基本詞兒, 不同的前綴, 詞義要麼加強, 加數量, 要麼反轉, 或者不知道跑哪裡去了(liao~)!
看表格時, 請橫過來閱讀:
suffix
前綴
meaning
含義
Example
a-
not
asymmetric: not symmetric
acro-
high
acrophobia: fear of heights
allo-
other
allotransplantation: transplant of tissue from another person
alter-
at least secondary
alter ego: an at least secondary personality: alternative
an-
not
without
anaerobic: not requiring air to live; another
ante-
before
antebellum: before a war
anti-
against
anti-inflammatory: against inflammation
auto-
self
automobile: moves itself; automatic; automation
bi-
two
bicentennial: consisting of or occurring every two centuries; binomial: two terms: binary; bi-plane
co-
together
cooperation: working together;
contra-
against
contraindication: against indication
counter-
against
countermeasure: action against; counteraction; counteractive; counter-battery radar
de-
negative:
remove
deactivate: stop from working
di-
two
diatomic: two atoms; dipole: two poles; diode;
dis-
negative:
remove
disappear: vanish; disagreement
down-
down;
reduce
downshift: shift to a lower gear; downregulation: regulation toward lessened expression
dys-
negative:
badly:
wrongly
dysfunction: bad function
epi-
on: above
epidural: outside the dura mater
extra-
outside
extracellular: outside a cell
fore-
before
foresight: seeing beforehand
hemi-
half
hemisphere: half of a sphere
hexa-
six
hexagon: six-sided polygon
hyper-
a lot;
too much
hypercalcemia: too much calcium in the blood; hypersonic; hypertension;
hypo-
a little; not enough
hypokalemia: not enough potassium in the blood; hypotension
ig-
not
ignoble: not noble; ignorant: not knowing
il-
not
illegal: not legal
im-
not
imbalance: lack of balance
in-
not
inactive: not active
infra-
below
infrared: below red on the spectrum
inter-
between
interobserver: between observers; internet
intra-
within
intracellular: inside a cell; intranet
ir-
not
irregular: not regular
macro-
large-scale
macroeconomics: workings of entire economies;
mal-
bad:
wrong
malocclusion: bad occlusion; malfunction v. failure
maxi-
big: as big as possible
maxi-single: single with extras
mega
huge; million
Megaphone, megabyte
meso-
middle
mesoamerican: middle of the Americas
meta-
self-referential
metadata: data that provides information about other data
micro-
small-scale
micrometer: small-measurement instrument; microphone; minplay
mid-
middle
midportion: middle part
mini-
small
miniature: small; smaller version
mis-
bad:
wrong
misspelling: incorrect spelling
mono-
one
monotheism: belief in one god; monopoly; monoplane
multi-
many: more than one
multiplex: many signals in one circuit
non-
no: not
nonstop: without stopping
octo-
eight
octopus: eight-footed
over-
excess:
too much;
on top
overexpression: too much expression; overcoat: outer coat
pan-
all
pancytopenia: low counts across all cell types; pan-American: involving all of the Americas
para-
beside;
beyond;
related to;
altered
paranormal: beyond the normal; paresthesia: altered sensation; paramilitary: military-like
penta-
five
pentateuch: the five books of Moses; pantegon;
per-
through;
throughout
percutaneous: through the skin
peri-
around
pericardial: around the heart
poly-
many
polyglot: many languages; polymer; polyethylene; polypropylene; monopolymer; copolymer; polyvinyl; polytetrafluoroethylene; polyvinylidene fluoride
post-
after
postoperative: after surgery; post-processing;
pre-
before;
already
preassembled: already built
pro-
in favor of
pro-science: in favor of science
proto-
first;
primitive;
precursor
Proto-Indo-European: precursor of Indo-European
pseudo-
false, specious
pseudonym: fake name; pseudo-code; pseudo-colour
quadri-
four
quadrilateral: four-sided
quasi-
somewhat:
resembling
quasiparticulate: resembling particles
re-
again
reestablish: establish again; react; reactive
self-
[acting on or by] oneself
self-cleaning: cleans itself
semi-
partial;
somewhat; half
semiarid: somewhat arid; semi-conductor; semi-automatic
sub-
below
subzero: below zero; subsonic
super-
above;
more than; great
Supermarket, super sonic
supra-
above
supraorbital: above the eye sockets
tetra-
four
tetravalent: four valence electrons; tetrapods
trans-
across; connecting
transatlantic: across the Atlantic Ocean; transport; transportation
tri-
three
tripartite: three parts; triode
ultra-
beyond; extremely
ultraviolet: beyond violet on the spectrum
un-
not;
remove; opposite
unopened: not opened
under-
beneath;
not enough
underexposure: not enough exposure
up-
up;
increase
upshift: shift to a higher gear; upregulation: regulation toward increased expression
xeno-
foreign
xenophobia: fear of strangers or foreigners; xenotransplantation: transplant from another species
後綴/affix,
後綴的原則是改變詞性, 即詞的格~(case). 名詞變動詞, 動詞變名詞, 名詞變形容詞, 名詞和動詞的人格化. 之後呢? 形容詞還可以又變回名詞. 反正變換多多的.
對了, 還有, 動詞的第三人稱單數(-s), 現代分詞 (-ing), 過去式(-ed, -t), 過去分詞(-en). 名詞的單數變成複數(-s. -en). 還有形容詞的比較級(-er), 最高級(-est).
-s: third person singular present
-ed: past tense
-t: past tense
-ing: progressive/continuous
-en: past participle
-s: plural
-en: plural (irregular)
-er: comparative
-est: superlative
-ise/-ize: nouns into verbs
-fy: nouns into verbs
-ly: adjectives into adverbs
-ful: nouns into adjectives
-able/-ible: verbs into adjectives
-hood: class-maintaining, word class remaining a noun
-ess: class-maintaining, word class remaining a noun
-ness: adjectives into nouns
-less: nouns into adjectives
-ism: class-maintaining, word class remaining a noun
-ment: changes verbs into nouns
-ist: class-maintaining, word class remaining a noun
-al: nouns into adjectives
-ish: nouns into adjectives; class-maintaining, word class remainingan adjective
-ity: adjectives into nouns
-tion: verbs into noun
-logy/-ology: class-maintaining, word class remaining a noun
-ant/er/or: verbs into nouns, often referring to a human agent
Act的詞源和意項
vt. 扮演; 裝作, 舉動像
vi. 行動; 扮演, 充當; 表現, 舉止; 假裝, 演戲; 起作用,見效
n. 行為, 行動; 法令, 法案; (戲劇, 歌劇的)一幕, 段; 裝腔作勢
這麼多的詞義, 是不是看著暈暈的~! act只有兩個詞性, 一個動詞, 來自拉丁語的agere, 這個拉丁詞兒, 等同於英語的'do和perform'.
而名詞的act, 來自法語詞acte=(official) document. 看到這兒, act作為法案是不是理所應當了.
Act的後綴詞們
actor and actress: 男演員和女演員, 英語的名詞, 曾經有陰陽格, 但是後來消退了, actor和actress就是殘留, 類似的還有: waitor/waitress; 男女服務員 prince/princess 王子和公主 等.
action n. 行動, 活動, 功能, 戰鬥
active adj. 積極的, 主動的
actively adv. 積極地, 活躍地
activity n. 活動, 行動
.
Act的前綴詞們
react v. 反應
enact vt. 頒布, 制定法律, 扮演
.
reactor n. 反應器, 反應堆
reactive adj. 反應的
enactive adj. 法律制定的, 有制定權的
enactment n. 制定, 頒布, 法令
enaction n. 設定, 制定; adj. 實幹的
enacted n. 制定, 頒布
.
結論: 熟悉和掌握英語的前綴和後綴, 對於掌握和記憶浩如煙海的英語單詞, 是事半功倍的方法.