MORPHOLOGY

(SESSION 2)

Immediate Constituents (ICs)

 IMMEDIATE CONSTITUENTS (ICS)
- Constituents: are any of the two meaningful parts
forming a larger linguistic unit.
e.g. the analysis of the word ‘ungentlemanly’
+ first cut: un- │gentlemanly
+ second cut: gentleman│-ly
+ third cut: gentle│man

un- gentle│man -ly

 IMMEDIATE CONSTITUENTS (ICS)

→ Successive divisions into two parts, each is called

IMMEDIATE CONSTITUENT.
 IMMEDIATE CONSTITUENTS (ICS)
- Some recommendations on IC division:
1. If a word ends in an inflectional suffix, the first cut is
between this suffix and the rest of the word.
e.g.
demonstration -s

regain -ed
 IMMEDIATE CONSTITUENTS (ICS)
- Some recommendations on IC division:
2. If a word/ an IC is an adjective with a class-maintaining
derivational prefix, the cut is between this prefix and its
root.
e.g.
un- democratic

in- visible
 IMMEDIATE CONSTITUENTS (ICS)
- Some recommendations on IC division:
3. The meaning of the ICs should be related to the meaning
of the word.
e.g. (wrong cut): restrain = rest│rain
(right cut): restrain = re-│strain

(wrong cut): starchy = star│chy

(right cut): starchy = starch│-y
 IMMEDIATE CONSTITUENTS (ICS)
- Some recommendations on IC division:
4. IC division must be compatible with the word formation.
e.g. suffer(v) → suffer+able(adj) → in+sufferable (adj)
→ insufferabl(e)+ly (adv)

in- suf│fer -abl(e) -ly

+ first cut: insufferable │-ly

+ second cut: in-│sufferable
+ third cut: suffer│-able
+ fourth cut: suf-│fer
 IMMEDIATE CONSTITUENTS (ICS)
- Some recommendations on IC division:
5. The rest of the word should be a free base or
two bound bases.
e.g. the analysis of the word ‘interference’

inter- fer -ence

+ first cut: interfer │-ence

+ second cut: inter-│fer