11.2 The formation of nouns

PREFIXES used to form nouns usually narrow down the meaning of the root noun in some way:

Erz- arch-,out and out der Feind → der Erzfeind arch enemy Fehl- opposite or negative die Kalkulation → die Fehlkalkulation miscalculation Ge-… -(-e) from nouns:collectives der Berg → das Gebirge mountain range (vowel change) der Stern → das Gestirn stars, constellation (of stars) Ge-… -(-e) from verbs:repeated action schwätzen → das Geschwätz chattering, drivel Grund- basic,essential die Tendenz → die Grundtendenz basic tendency Haupt- main der Bahnhof → der Hauptbahnhof main station Miss- opposite or negative der Brauch → der Missbrauch misuse Mit- co-,fellow- der Reisende → der Mitreisende fellow traveller Nicht- non- der Raucher → der Nichtraucher non-smoker Riesen- augmentative ( huge) der Erfolg → der Riesenerfolg huge success Schein- not real,imaginary der Erfolg → der Scheinerfolg illusory success Un- opposite,abnormal der Mensch → der Unmensch inhuman person Ur- original die Sprache → die Ursprache original language

Many other ‘augmentative’ prefixes are common in colloquial German, indicating that something is huge, enormous or important, often excessively so, e.g. Affengeschwindigkeit,

Bombengeschäft, Heidenlärm, Höllendurst, Mordsapparat, Spitzenbelastung, Superhit,

Teufelskerl, Topmanager. SUFFIXES commonly used to form nouns are almost always linked to a particular GENDER (see 2.2–2.4):

-chen,-lein ( Umlaut) diminutives from die Stadt → das Städtchen little town neuter nouns das Buch → das Büchlein little book -e ( Umlaut) abstract nouns from groß → die Größe size feminine adjectives lang → die Länge length

-e

action or instrument absagen → die Absage refusal feminine from verbs bremsen → die Bremse brake

-ei

-erei place where der Bäcker → die Bäckerei bakery feminine something is done Bücher (pl.) → die Bücherei library annoying repeated schreien → die Schreierei constant screaming feminine action,from verbs angeben → die Angeberei excessive boasting

-er person performing fahren → der Fahrer driver masculine an action,from verbs lehren → der Lehrer teacher -heit/-(ig)keit abstract nouns from gesund → die Gesundheit health feminine adjectives genau → die Genauigkeit precision -in ( Umlaut) feminine person/ der Lehrer → die Lehrerin female teacher feminine animal,from nouns der Hund → die Hündin bitch

-schaft

-tum

-ung

nouns from verbs bedeuten → die Bedeutung meaning feminine denoting the action landen → die Landung landing

abstract or collective der Freund → die Freundschaft friendship feminine nouns,from nouns der Graf → die Grafschaft county collective nouns der Bürger → das Bürgertum middle classes neuter or categories der König → das Königtum monarchy

Many nouns can be formed from VERBS (especially strong verbs) without a suffix, but often with a vowel change like that in the past tense of strong verbs. They usually express the process or result of the action. Almost all these nouns are MASCULINE:

ausgehen → der Ausgang exit schließen → der Schluss close brechen → der Bruch break schneiden → der Schnitt cut ersetzen → der Ersatz replacement stechen → der Stich stab, sting

The INFINITIVE of almost any verb can be used as a noun. These are always NEUTER and simply refer to the action of the verb, often corresponding to the English -ing form used as a noun:

das Bellen des Hundes die Kunst des Schreibens nach langem Warten

the barking of the dog the art of writing after waiting a long time

These infinitival nouns are often compounded: das Zeitunglesen ‘reading the newspaper’, das Schlafengehen ‘going to bed’. Present and past PARTICIPLES, and many other ADJECTIVES, can be used as nouns. They have the endings of adjectives (see also 4.3). PRESENTPARTICIPLES used as nouns indicate a person actually carrying out the action of the verb:

der/die Reisende der/die Lesende der/die Schlafende

the person travelling the person reading the person sleeping