THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MORPHOLOGY AND SYNTAX

Morphology is the study of meaningful parts of a word while Syntax refers to

the rules that govern the ways in which words combine to form phrases, clauses,

and sentences. In syntax there are rules that must be followed basing on the choice of

words for one to construct grammatically correct sentences, that is the correct use of

words, phrases, clauses and punctuation, specifically to form sentences. For example, one

must make correct word choice, matching number and tense, and placing words and

phrases in the right order. In a nutshell Syntax is the proper order of words in a phrase or

sentence. Native speakers of a language learn correct syntax subconsciously that is

without realizing it. The complexity of a writer's or speaker's sentences creates a formal

or informal level of diction that is presented to its audience. 

While morphology builds up word forms typically by combining roots with other roots

and with affixes and also by applying other operations to them, syntax takes fully

inflected words as input and combines them into phrases and sentences. For example, a

morpheme like ‘appoint’ can exist as it is and can also be combined with other lexical

items such as a prefix ‘dis-’ to form disappoint or a suffix ‘-ment’ as well to form

disappointment. Through morphology also two words combine to form bigger items for

example post and office to form post office through the word formation processes

(compounding). In syntax now the already inflected words combine to form phrases and

clauses and these clauses combine with the help of conjunctions to form grammatically

correct sentences.

The division of labour between morphology and syntax is thus perfect: morphology only

operates below the word level whereas syntax only operates above the word level.

Moreover, these two components of grammar are ordered in strict sequence, such that the
syntax takes over after morphology has done its work. In a nut shell morphology first

operates on the words fully before syntax picks on them. For example, deriving the

morphemes in that a word can change its word class in order to fit in the sentence

appropriately and this is through the word formation processes in morphology. A word

can also be inflected for example to mark tense or plurality through morphology as well.

After all this morphological processes syntax now comes in to choose the morphemes and

arrange them in correct order basing on the rules to form grammatically correct sentences.

Both morphology and syntax involve the use of rules for effective combination of

individual structures. For example, the morphemes like –able, and –ment do not just fit

on any word or rather root, one must use the word that best fit on it. For example, the

word adore can be combined with -able to form adorable which is correct but if we

combine it with -ment it forms an ungrammatical word adorement. For syntax one must

use an independent clause alongside a dependent clause for it to make some meaning. For

example; ‘if I read this book’ is a subordinate clause and must be accompanied by a

main clause like ‘I will be inspired’, for it to make some meaning since it cannot make

meaning on its own. This is also see in multiple sentences which are structurally linked up

by coordinating conjunctions.

Both morphology and syntax are generative systems. In morphology two simple lexical

items can be merged to form one complex lexical item. For example, from the verb

govern we are able to generate other words in the same word class or another lexical

category; government is a noun, governor is a noun, governance is a verb, governable is

an adjective, misgovern too is also another form. You see now from one word govern we

have been able to generate more complex words from it. In syntax simple structures

combine to form more complex structures. For example; The noun phrase is merged up

with the verb phrase to form a larger sentence. Another example is where a single clause
can link up with another clause to form a more complex sentence. For example, we have

simple sentences which contains only one independent clause; when we proceed to

compound sentences the independent clause now links up with other independent clauses

alongside coordinating conjunctions. The structure of this sentence grows into more

complex as we proceed to complex sentences down to compound complex and finally to

multiple sentences.

Morphology depends on syntax in that the morpheme order is always determined by

syntax. This is due to the agreement markers ‘-est’ and ‘-er’. In English language we are

required to use the best form of the word in a sentence in order to fit the discourse. This is

now where syntax comes in to help apply some rules in the correct choice of words or

rather morphemes to construct grammatically correct sentences. This is clearly brought

out in the Swedish and Norwegian languages where the agreement markers are used to

determine syntax and also the determinants and since English borrowed a lot from the

Germanic languages they seem to have a similarity in grammatical rules, syntax.

CONCLUSSION

From the discussion above we have been able to see the relationship between syntax and

morphology. This knowledge is of great importance to the language students in that it

helps one use both the idea of syntax and that of morphology to create grammatically

correct sentences. It will also help one escape some errors that are not easily identifiable

in a spontaneous conversation in the construction of an utterance.