MorphologyThe study of word formation

ObservationsObservations Boldest = bold + est bold cannot be

divided

Boy has a meaning in itself

At does not have a meaning, it indicates relationship

Serve can be a word, pre- as in preserve cannot

Friendliest works, friendestly does not.

TV and telly are formed from television

Conclusions Conclusions

1. words are made up of meaningful units called morphemes

2. lexical morphemes have meaning

And grammatical morphemes do not

3. Bound morphemes cannot stand alone as free morphemes can.

4. There are inflectional and derivational morphemes

5. Languages can create new words freely and systematically.

Morpheme Morpheme A minimal unit having more or less constant meaning

associated with a more or less constant form.

Ex: buyers = {buy} + {er} + {s}

Evidence: buy, buying, farmer, driver, boys, dogs, cats..……

NOTE: morphemes and syllables are different.

See: cats and alligator…..how many syllables? And morphemes?

PracticePracticeWhat does it mean?

{Mc} as in McMuffin, McNuggets

{oholic} as in workoholic, chocoholic, foodoholic

Action and package contain two morphemes. What is the evidence?

{act} + {ion} and {pack} + {age}

Same look different morpheme Same look different morpheme

….. same morpheme …. ….. same morpheme ….

Different look ….Different look …. Buyer and shorter.

{er}

{AG} and {COMP}

Boys = {boy} + {PLU}

Men = ?

Walked = {walk} + {PAST}

Went = ?

PracticePractice HOW MANY MORPHEMES?

Actor

Winter

Forthrightness

Mother-in-law

Undo

Aspirin

Best

Lexical or Lexical or Grammatical?Grammatical?

Restating

Strongest

Actively

Precede

Disentangled

Ran

Women

The

Lexical morphemes have a meaning.

Grammatical morphemes express a relationship between Lexical morphemes.

Free or Bound Free or Bound morphemes?morphemes?

{er} in teachers

{cur} in recur, incur, occur

{at}, {to} and other prepositions

{pel} as in repel, compel, impel

Find five words with the bound lexical m. {mit} as in ‘send, go’. What about mitten….?

{bio-} and {tele-}: lexical/grammatical. Bound/free. Find five words. What is the meaning of each morpheme.

Free morphemes can stand alone as words. They may be lexical or grammatical: [serve], [press], [at], [and].

Bound morphemes cannot stand alone as words. See [clude] as in exclude, include, preclude. They can be grammatical as in [PLU] as in boys, girls, cats.

Inflectional and Inflectional and derivationalderivational

Bound morpheme = affix= prefix/suffix

Ex. Depress= {de} + {press}

helpful= {help} + {ful}

men = {man} + {PLU}

8 English Inflectional 8 English Inflectional morphemesmorphemes

INFLECTIONAL AFFIX

MEANING ROOT EXAMPLE

{PLU} Plural Noun Boys

{POSS} Possessive Noun Boy’s

{COMP} Comparative

Adjective Older

{SUP} Superlative Adjective oldest

{PRES} Present Verb walks

{PAST} Past Verb walked

{PAST PART}

Past participle

Verb Driven

{PRES PART}

Present participle

Verb Driving

Derivational suffixesDerivational suffixes {ize} noun to verb as in:

criticize, rubberize, vulcanize, pasteurize, mesmerize…

Or adjective to verb as in: normalize, finalize, equalize…

{ful} adjective to adverb as in : helpful, careful, careful…..

{ly} adjective to adverb as in: quickly, carefully, swiftly, mightily….o nouns to adjective: manly…

Morpheme

lexical grammatical

free bound free bound nouns prepositionsVerbs articlesAdjectives conjunctions

Inflectional Derivational

Compress Subvert at, the, andDepress invertOppress convertRepresssuppress

Derivational prefixesDerivational prefixes {un} as in unhappy,

unwary, unassuming, unforgettable.

{dis} displeasure, disproportionate, dislike, distrust

{a} asymmetrical, asexual, atheist, atypical

{anti} anti-American, anti-Castro, anti-aircraft…

All inflectional affixes are native to English.

Many derivational affixes are borrowings from other languages. Ex: {ize}, {dis}, {de}, {re}, {a}. {anti}

Spanish morphemes….Spanish morphemes…. Tío

Muchacha

Abuela

Nieto

Hermana

Hermanos

Abuelo

Nieta

Tías

Muchacho

Abrir

Tu abres

Nosotros abrimos

la

Las

Estan Contando

Ellos han contado

Italian morphemesItalian morphemes maestra, maestro, amica, amico

matita, matite, pizza, pizze

cantare, suonare, ballare

io canto, io suono, io ballo

ho cantato, ho suonato, ho ballato

sto cantando, sto suonando, sto ballando.

grandissima, bellissima, piccolissima

Cinzietta, Annetta, Marietta

zietta, casetta, cenetta

List the morphemes and decide what is their type and their function.

Kurdish morphemesKurdish morphemes Aaqil ‘wise’

Diz ‘robber’

Draiž ‘long’

Zaanaa ‘wise’

Garm ‘warm’

What is the type, the form, and the function of the affix…..?

Aaqilii ‘forethought’

Dizii ‘robbery’

Draižii ‘length’

Zaanaaii ‘erudition’

Garmii ‘warmth’