Chapter 2 - Academic Vocabulary

Chapter 2: Academic Vocabulary

2c: Word Formation

We often come across new words or technical terms in different subjects. An awareness of word formation processes enables us to work out the meaning of unfamiliar words in academic contexts.

This part will introduce the following common word formation processes:

i) affixation (prefixes and suffixes)
ii) compounding
iii) clipping
iv) blending
v) borrowing (loan words)

v) Borrowing (Loan Words)
A loan word is a word borrowed from another language. It is often pronounced in a similar way to their counterparts in the source language. Here are some examples:

Words	Origins	Meanings	Sample Sentences
entrepreneur (n.)	French	a person who starts a business	Elon Musk, the CEO and product architect of Tesla, is one of the most famous entrepreneurs in the world.
kindergarten (n.)	German	a pre-school for children (children’s garden)	Kindergartens should provide a stimulating environment to help children cultivate positive attitudes and good habits.

Answers

E. fjord
A. paparazzi
D. tsunami
F. laissez-faire
C. genre
B. bourgeois

Activity 9

Complete the sentences with the loan words provided in the table below. Choose the correct answers.

Loan Words		Origins	Meanings
A.	paparazzi	Italian	(n.) a group of photographers who take pictures of celebrities for magazines or newspapers.
B.	bourgeois	French	(n.) middle-class people (adj.) belonging or relating to the middle class
C.	genre	French	(n.) a style of art
D.	tsunami	Japanese	(n.) an extremely large wave caused by a violent movement of the Earth under the sea
E.	fjord	Norwegian	(n.) a long, narrow strip of the sea between steep cliffs
F.	laissez-faire	French	(adj.) free from interference and control

A is commonly found in regions where the present or past glaciations are below the current sea level.
The actor launched legal proceedings against the , claiming harassment and invasion of privacy by a tabloid press.
Some 12,000 households were affected by the volcanic eruption and subsequent that hit the islands of Tonga on 15 January 2022.
An economic system based on private property rights and free markets is called capitalism.
Dystopian fiction is a of science fiction.
In America, a traditional family consists of two parents, two children and a family pet.