Word Formation in English for Science and Technology

Li Xin

Word formation is the process or result of forming new words，which is a way of deriving linguistic units to create a new word having a semantic and formal connection with the original unit.English for Science and Technology （hereinafter referred to as the EST）as a functional variety in modern English，its literary form abides by the rules of concise，precise，restricted and impersonal，and its characteristics are embodied in vocabulary and language structure.So this article is going to analysis the usage and translation skill of the word formation.

Ⅰ Vocabulary characteristics

In EST，there are a large number of vocabularies of science and technology.These vocabularies can be divided into three kinds from application.First，it is highly-technical terms.These terms are used in a certain subject or profession.Second，it is a semi-technical terms which is a kind of general terms of science and technology used in most of professions with different meanings.Third，much more vocabularies of the EST are from word formation.

ⅡWord formation and translation methods of the EST

1.Compounding.In linguistics，compounding refers to the process of combining two words to create a new word.Compounds are written sometimes as one word （sunspot），two hyphenated words （program-control）and two separate words （football stadium）.In the EST，the compounding mainly refers to the compound nouns and adjectives.

Compound nouns：program-control，laser bomb，flywheel， piggyback

Compound adjectives：a man-made satellite，fire-proof asbestos sheets

Usually，most of compound words are translated with literal translation skill，such as the word program-control is translated into “程序控制”and flywheel “飛輪”.However，some words should be translated with amplification skill.From above，as we translate the compounding words of the EST，the translator should attach more attention to the special meaning in certain fields.

2.Affixation.In linguistics，affixation refers to the process of forming a new word by the addition of a morpheme （or affix）to an already existing word.The primary kinds of affixation are prefixation （the addition of a prefix）and suffixation （the addition of a suffix）.Clusters of affixes can be used to form complex words.

Prefix：eco-（=habitat）ecology；tele-（=faraway）television， telegram

Suffix：—Iogy （=subject）anthropology； —ism （=action）metabolism

Many long and complex words in the EST are made up with affixes.Thus，in translating this kind of words，it should be clear the rules of word formation.

barothermograph = baro （air-pressure）+ thermo （heated）+ graph （graphical record）

3.Blending.Blending is a process of a word formed by merging the sounds and meanings of two or more other words or word parts.There are five types of blending as following：

3.1 Combining the beginning letters.E.g.hi-tech = high technology

3.2 The beginnings of the first word are added to the end of the other.redox = reduction oxidation conrod = connecting rod

3.3 The beginnings of the first word combined with another word. medicare = medical care internet = international net

3.4 The first word combines with the last part of another word.newscast = news broadcast netizien = net citizien

3.5 Adding first letter of each word into a new word.radar = radio detecting and ranging sonar = sound navigation ranging

For the usual blending word，translators can use reduction skill to translate.However，for some words，it is not easy to find out the meaning quickly and correctly.So the translator should look up more materials to get the correct meaning.

4.Shortening.Shortening is the act or process of dropping one or more syllables from a word or phrase to form a shorter word with the same meaning.

4.1 Clipped words：Clipped words are words reduced to one of its parts.

Fore-clipping：telephone = phone parachute = chute

Back clipping：laboratory=lab agriculture = agric

4.2 Acronym.Acronyms are formed from the initial letters of words pronounced as normal word. Al =artificial intelligence DOS=disk operating system

When translate this kind of words，translators can use free translation （radar “雷達(dá)”）and quotation （computer-aided tomography，people just call “CT” in daily life）.

Ⅲ Conclusion

As the development of the science，there are many more new words appearing in the future.We should adapt many different ways to learn and master them，and word formation is a critical way to master the new words.So mastering word formation is a very important fundamental skill for translating the EST.

References：

[1]Fan Wuqiu.A Practical Course on EST Translation.Beijing Foreign Languages Press.2001.

[2]Liu Yi.A Dictionary of English Word Roots.Beijing Foreign Languages Press.1999.