A dictionary-based study: The morphological behaviour of the prefix under- in English word formation

Abstract

This study explores the morphological behaviour of the English prefix under-, by implementing a dictionary-based analysis of lexical entries documented in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). This study investigates 1) the distribution of under- formations across word classes, whether the prefix maintains or changes the word class of its lexical base, and 2) how it is used in combination with simple and morphologically complex bases. A number of 364 contemporary lexical entries identified as derivational prefixations in the OED was analysed. Each entry was grouped according to the word class of the derived form, the word class of its base, as well as whether the derivation maintained or changed to word class. Based on the findings, it is found that the prefix under- could form nouns, verbs, and adjectives, with nouns were counted as the largest. Most formations could maintain the word class of their lexical bases, suggesting that under- functions mainly as a class-maintaining prefix. Moreover, the prefix was found to attach to both simple and complex bases, indicating that it has structural flexibility in English word formation. These findings contribute to the description of English derivational morphology by providing a systematic dictionary-based account of under- formations.