Morphemes

Write short notes on morphemes

Def
-smallest meaningful unit of language

Types of morphemes
1) Free morphemes
- can be stem ( carry central meaning) All stems are free morphemes
- standalone.

2) Bound morphemes
- cannot stand alone.
-must be bound to stem
-also known as affix

Types of bound morphemes
1) suffix
-happens behind the stem, (further categorised as inflectional and derivational suffix)
2) prefix
- occurs before the stem
3) infix
- inserted into the stem
4) circumfix
- surrounds the stem
-occurs before and after the stem


Difference between inflectional and derivational suffix

Inflectional suffix
- occurence of suffix will not cause a change in word class.
-8 types
-suffix that goes with verbs
- Present tense
- Past tense
- Past participle
- Progressive
-Suffix that goes with adverbs and adjectives
-comparitive
-superlative
-Suffix that goes with nouns
-possessives
-plural
- does not result in a change in lexical meaning
- however, there might be a change in grammatical meaning
- must occur in the last in the word, cannot precede a deri suffix
- cannot take more than 1 inflec suffix unless it is the possessive suffix

Derivation suffix
- results in a change in word class
- change in lexical meaning
- can have more than 2 derivational suffix in one word
- derivation prefix will not change the word class of the word