The language is in perpetual motion. The vocabulary is constantly changing, some expressions and words become a thing of the past, some acquire a different meaning, new lexical units, phrases, turns appear due to borrowings, the formation of words and the expansion of groups of cognate words. How not to get confused in all this diversity and understand how single-root words differ from the form of a word? Let's deal with this issue in order.
The lexical and grammatical meaning of the word
The lexical meaning is the content of the word, the comparability between a certain set of sounds and the object of reality. For example, when we say "shop", we mean "small shop". The main semantic load is carried by the root “shop”, and the reduction property is superimposed due to the “-chik” suffix. Examples of such combinations:orange, jug, suit.
Besides, the word has a grammatical meaning. So, the noun has such categories as case, number, gender, the verb has number, person. It is thanks to the grammatical meaning that one can determine the relationship in which the words are.
How to distinguish word forms from cognate words based on lexical and grammatical meanings?
The lexical meaning of each word from the group of cognate words includes the meaning of the root. For example: mint (taste) - the same as mint; cherry (color) - same as cherry, etc.
The form of a word is inextricably linked with the concept of grammatical meaning. For example, changing the name of a noun according to cases (doll, doll, doll, dolls, dolls, etc.); verb change in persons and numbers (I draw, draw, draw, draw, draw, etc.) Based on the examples, it can be noted that only the ending changes, while the base remains unchanged. These are different forms of the same word. From the above, it becomes clear how a single-root word differs from a word form.
Word formation
The Russian language is rich and diverse. Also, the ways of forming new lexical units are extensive and varied. Among them are:
- suffix;
- prefixed;
- suffixless;
- attachment-suffix;
- transition from one part of speech to another;
- addition.
Let's look at each of themmore.
Under suffixation or suffix method is understood that a suffix is added to the original lexical unit. For example, kind - kind, fly - pilot, turn off - switch, brother - brotherhood, breakfast - have breakfast, etc.
Prefixation or prefix method implies that a prefix is added to the original lexical unit. For example, interesting - interesting, go - come, surprising - no wonder, run - run, etc.
The suffixless method (or in other words, zero suffixation) means cutting off the ending or discarding both the suffix and the ending. For example: blue - blue, rest - rest, break - break, etc.
Speaking of the prefix-suffix method, they imply the emergence of new words by adding both a prefix and a suffix to the original lexical unit. For example, a river is beyond the river, ride is a rider, winter is like winter, sleep is sleep, etc.
The transition from one part of speech to another is called substantiation. For example: teacher's room, ice cream, canteen, military, hot, etc.
Last, let's analyze the addition method. It consists in combining two words into one word or combining only the stems through connecting vowels or without their participation. For example, radar, physical exercise, snowmobile, locomotive, brown-eyed, tragicomedy, light blue, southwestern, etc.
Groups of cognate words
Due to the above word-formation patterns, there aregroups of single words. For all single-root lexical units, a single root is characteristic. When adding prefixes, suffixes to the same root, one-root words are obtained.
Let's look at an example. Let's take the root "-forest-" and make up a series of words with the same root: forest, wooded, forest, forest, forester, forest, copse, timber truck, lumberjack, forest park, woodland, woodland, etc. Or another example, the root "-years-". With this root, you can also choose your own series. Namely: fly, fly, pilot, take-off, flight, raid, fly in, fly around, fly off, rally, flying, etc. In the examples described above, we observe the emergence of groups of cognate words.
One-root lexical units can be not only different parts of speech. The same parts of speech can be single root:
- single-root nouns: house, house, house, house;
- single-root words adjectives: big, big, big;
- single-root words verbs: run, run away, run, run, etc.
Examples of groups of cognate words with alternating roots
In Russian there are roots with alternating letters. It can be both vowels and consonants. Let's look at examples.
Root "-lag-"/"-false-": put, hostage, lay, tax, dispose, cover, offer, etc.
Root "-grow-"/"-grow-"/"-grow-": grow, thickets, age, grow, plant, germinate, etc.
Root "-ter-"/"-tyr-": wipe, wipe, wash,wiped, scrubbed, grater, etc.
Root "-steel-"/"-steel-": to lay, spread, bed, bedding, laid, etc.
Despite the alternation, all these words will be of the same root.
Examples of the difference between cognate words and word forms
So, what is the difference between single-root words and word forms? Let's look at specific examples to finally understand this issue.
The noun "hike". The forms will be a change in cases and numbers (hike, hikes, hikes, hikes, hikes, etc.). The same root will be those lexical units where the same root “-hod-” is present (hike, walk, approach, enter, come, hopeless, entrance, etc.).
Or another example: the verb "read". Forms: reading, reading, reading, reading, etc. Same-root: read, reader's, read, well-read, finish reading, etc.
Let's take the adjective "winter" as an example. Forms will be winter, winter, winter, winter, winter, winter, etc. One-root, in turn, are: winter, winter, in winter, hibernate, hibernation, etc.
The above examples clearly prove how the same-root words differ from the form of the word.
Comparison chart
In the table below, we summarize and illustrate with examples how to distinguish the form of a word from a single-root word.
| Single-root words | Word forms |
| Cheerful - adj. | Cheerful -adj. |
| Fun - noun | Funny - adj. |
| Have fun - ch. | Fun - adj. |
| Fun - adv. | Funny - adj. |
| Different lexical meanings | Same lexical meaning |
| Different in suffixes and prefixes | Differ only in endings |
| Parts of speech are different | Always one part of speech |
Now you can easily answer the question of how the same-root words differ from the form of the word.
