MORPHEMES

By :Nasyratul Fathiah bt Mohd Farid

PISMP Science, Sem 5,2010IPG KDRI, Kuala Terengganu

WHAT IS MORPHEMES?

• The term comes from the Greek word morph, meaning shape or form.

• The smallest unit of meaning.•  It is concerned with the structure of

words.•  Morphemes can be classified as either

free or bound.

TYPES OF MORPHEMES

MORPHEMES

FREE MORPHEMES BOUND MORPHEMES

• affix: a morpheme that comes at the beginning (prefix) or the ending (suffix) of a base morpheme. Note: An affix usually is a morpheme that cannot stand alone. Examples: -ful, -ly, -ity, -ness. A few exceptions are able, like, and less.

• base: a morpheme that gives a word its meaning. The base morpheme cat gives the word cats its meaning: a particular type of animal.

• prefix: an affix that comes before a base morpheme. The in in the word inspect is a prefix.

FREE MORPHEMES

• A free morpheme is a unit of meaning which can stand alone or alongside another free or bound morpheme.

• Free morphemes are units of meaning which cannot be split into anything smaller.

• Can stand alone as words of a language.• Most root words in English is free morphemes.

• These are usually individual words, such as:- lid- sink- air- car- cat

• However, the terms 'gate', 'butter' and 'flower' can also exist alongside another free morpheme. The following examples comprise two free morphemes

- gate +post - butter + milk- sun + flower

BOUND MORPHEMES

• Bound morphemes are also units of meaning which cannot be split into anything smaller.

• They are different from free morphemes because they cannot exist alone.

• They must be bound to one or more free morphemes.

• Almost all prefixes and suffixes are bound morphemes.

BOUND MORPHEMES

Infectional

• Can only be suffix.• An  inflectional morpheme creates a

change in the function of the word• Example: the d in invited indicates past

tense.• English has only seven inflectional

morphemes:  -s (plural) and -s (possessive) are noun inflections; -s ( 3rd-person singular), -ed ( past tense), -en (past participle), and -ing ( present participle) are verb inflections;  -er (comparative) and -est (superlative) are adjective and adverb inflections.

Derivational

• changes the meaning of the word or the part of speech or both.

• Derivational morphemes often create new words

• Example: the prefix and derivational morpheme un added to invited  (uninvited) changes the meaning of the word.

Prefixes

asymmetrical, subordinate,  unnecessary

Suffixes cowardice, fruitful, swimming

References

• Bauer, Mary Beth, et al., Grammar and Composition.  New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.,     1982.

• Fromkin, Victoria, and Robert Rodman.  An Introduction to Language.  5th ed.     Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace Joanovich College Publishers, 1993.

• Hacker, Diana.  The Bedford Handbook for Writers.  3rd ed.  Boston: Bedford     Books of St. Martin's Press, 1991.

• Kolln, Martha, and Robert Funk.  Understanding English Grammar.  5th ed.     Boston:  Allyn and Bacon, 1998.

• http://www.buzzin.net/english/morphol.htm• http://grammar.about.com/od/fh/g/freemorphterm.htm• http://grammar.about.com/od/ab/g/boundmorphterm.htm• http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~deguchm/j417/1014.pdf• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bound_morpheme• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morpheme• http://www.ling.ohio-state.edu/~kdk/201/autumn01/slides/morphology-4up.pdf• http://www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/caneng/morpheme.htm