The Rules Of Word-Formation Of "Zi"-a Suffix In Modern Chinese

The suffix "zi" has been used for more than one thousand years in Chinese. During the period, the usage of suffix"zi" got wider and wider, and the number of the words with zi" raised quickly. Until the modern Chinese, the suffix "zi" is one of the suffixes which can be combined to words. About its research got much attention. However, the research before time mostly about the origin, the nature, the sort, the function and the meaing of "zi". Little research on the rules of word-formation of "zi", which is a difficult and important question.As we know, "zi"can form a new word through clinging to an etyma,but not all the words could be the etyma. Which kinds of words could and which couldn't? That is a complex question. The article tries to make the question clear through the analysis of "zi", and give a elementary description about the rules of word-formation with the suffix "zi". We hope the article could do something for the study of TCSL or the research on word-formation in modern Chinese.This article proceeds as follows:On syllable aspect, it seems that the suffix "zi" can combine with monosyllable,disyllable and polysyllable. However, most of etyma are monosyllable, which can be combined with the pure suffix "zi". Few of etyma are disyllable, and none of polysyllable can be the etyma.On word class, only four kinds of words can be the etyma:noun,verb,adjective and quantifier. Those words don't have the coequal ability to combine with the suffix"zi". The ability from highness to lowness is:noun > verb > adjective > quantifier.On semantic aspect, The semantic features of words is one of the most important qualification in forming new words with "zi". Among the nouns, most etymas are concrete nouns, and few etyma are abstract nouns. We find that most noun etymas which can combine with "zi" have those "semantic features": [+numerable] [+spacial] [+concrete] [+individual] [+affiliated] [+solid]. Among the verbs, the semantic features [+action] is the important factor in forming new words with "zi". The stronger the active is, the easier it will be to form new words with "zi". So the verb etymas in the words with "zi" always are notional verb, but not link verb, adverbial verb,psychical verb and causable verb. Among the adjectives, state adjectives can not combine with "zi". The character adjectives which have those "semantic features":[+independent] [+controllable] [+about person] [+meliorative] can form new words with "zi". Only a few measure words can form new nouns with "zi", what is more, only nominal measure words.