Derived Nouns
If you know the value of the different suffixes composing nouns, you’ll make a big step ahead in English.
NOUNS with
SUFFIXES :
- Verb + er : celui qui fait l’action – singer, teacher, player, baker, driver, film-maker, dress-maker, waiter
- Verb + or : actor, protector, sculptor, survivor
- Verb+ ar : liar, beggar, burglar
- Verb + ress : actress, waitress, heiress
- Verb+ment : agreement, accomplishment, disappointment, entertainment
- Verb + ion : adoption, selection, abortion, recognition
- Verb+ance : acceptance, appearance, acceptance, fragrance
- Verb+ ence : absence, occurence, emergence, difference, preference,reference
- Verb+ancy : expectancy, pregnancy,
- Verb+ency : emergency, currency, fluency, frequency
- Verb+(i)our : behaviour, saviour
- N+ dom : martyrdom, kingdom, boredom, stardom
- N+hood : brotherhood, neighbourhood
- N+ ship : relationship, kingship,
- N+ acy : democracy, illiteracy,accuracy, privacy
- N+ ary: documentary, contrary,
- Adj + ness : happiness, kindness, carelessness, politeness,
- - ety : society, propriety,
- -ity : ability, sensitivity
- -ion : evolution,reunion,
- -aphy : photography, geography
- -ics : physics, phonetics
http://usefulenglish.ru/writing/difficult-suffixes-of-nouns-and-adjectives
COMPOUND NOUNS
The English language is full of compound words ( nouns and adjectives)
- 2 nouns
Compound nouns can be written in 3 different ways :
- in one word : sunflower, teabag, teaspoon, ashtray, armchair, blackboard, bookshelf,
- in two words : tennis player, swimming pool, horse race, mosquito net (to protect against), hair net ( to fix/set hair), butterfly net ( to catch)
- separated with a hyphen : pocket-money, fruit-cake, race-horse, goal-keeper, shop-window, apple-tree, flower-bed (parterre de fleurs),
- 3 nouns
teapot handle
football team
lighthouse keeper
In both cases, the main stress is on the first syllable and the secondary one on the last syllable.
Some nouns composed of simple words in English are translated by scientific words in French :
ex : – an ear, nose and throat specialist : un oto-rhyno-laryngologiste
- stamp-collecting : philatélie
- driving- mirror, rear-view mirror : rétroviseur
- a pea-shooter : une sarbacane
The opposite is more rare :
ex : a catapult : un lance-pierres
In French, basket, goal, puzzle and snack are always translated by compound nouns : basket-ball, goal-keeper, jigsaw puzzle and snack bar.
Some compound nouns are derived from verbs+er :
- Newcomer
- wood-cutter
- tin-opener
- screw-driver
- gas-cooker
- paper-hanger : tapissier
- clothes-hanger : cintre
- dishwasher : lave vaiselle ou plongeur dans un restaurant
All the compound words with the suffix -er are not derived from verbs : they are synonyms for 3-element compound words :
- double-decker (double-deck bus) : autobus à impériale
- six-former (sixth-form pupil) : un élève de classe de première
- bed-sitter (bed-sitting room) : un studio
hand-shake, shoe-polish
pullover
- The first element does not take “s” at the plural ( tooth-brush, guest-room, cherry-tart) except for :
- goods-train
- savings-bank
- clothes-hanger
- newspaper
- physics teacher
- brains trust (comité d’experts) (brain trust/américanisme)
- trousers pocket
- pyjamas jacket
To be continued …