FEATURES OF DERIVATIONAL ABILITY OF SINGLE SYLLABLE UNITS IN VIETNAMESE

Abstract

The Sino-Vietnamese monosyllabic units has a vital part in Vietnamese vocabulary. It can be, from the perspective of word-formation, said that the number of Sino-Vietnamese monosyllabic units equals that of Sino-Vietnamese word formation ones (morphemes). This study examines word formation ability of Sino-Vietnamese monosyllabic units in such aspects as the morpheme-based formation of Sino-Vietnamese monosyllabic words; semantic and structural assimilation, structures as well as the formation of Sino-Vietnamese polysyllabic words based on that of Vietnamese ones. Thence, around 3,500 Sino-Vietnamese monosyllabic units can coin an “open” great number of Sino-Vietnamese words and expressions.