The study of the internal structure of words and their
formation
Word: A unit of language that native speakers can identify
Morphemes
MORPHEMES: the smallest unit of
meaning
Root: primary lexical unit of a word
Free: stand alone as words.
Ex.: pain, pen, case
Bound: attached to other morphemes.
Ex.: bio, geo (as in biology, geography)
Affixes: attached to the root (always
bound)
By position
Prefix: before the root. Ex.: PREview, Review, ANTIbiotic
Suffix: after the root. Ex. : readER, practicAL, freeDOM
Infix: inside the root. Ex. (from Bontoc. There are no
infixes in English o Spanish): fikas (strong), fUMikas (to
be strong), kilad (red) kUMilad (to be red)
Circumfix: both before and after the root. Ex. (from
German. There are no circumfixes in English or
Spanish): lieb (to love), GEliebT (past participle of
love)
By function
Derivational: create new words: ly, re, ex, ful
(as in generalLY, REcreate, EX-wife, fruitFUL)
Inflectional: offer grammar information: ing,
est, s, ed (as in beING, highEST, penS,
workED)
Derivation (creation of
new words)
Major processes
Derivation: adding prefixes.
Ex DIShonest, honestY
Compounding: two free
morphemes. Ex.
CLASSROOM
Minor processes
Null affixation (no
affixes): to stay (verb),
a stay (noun)
Reduplication: (from Motu)
mahutamahuta (to sleep
constantly. Mahuta means to
sleep)