Bound morpheme vs.

Free Morpheme

Are all bound morphemes affixes, or are some of them roots or combining forms? Please support
your answer with sufficient examples.

Hi there,

Bound morphemes are affixes that cannot stand alone as independent words and must be attached
to other morphemes. They modify the meaning or function of the base word. While most bound
morphemes are indeed affixes, there are some that can function as roots or combining forms.

For example, the bound morpheme "-er" in the word "teacher" is an affix that changes the base
word "teach" into a noun indicating a person who teaches. Similarly, the bound morpheme "-s" in
the word "cats" is an affix that indicates pluralization.

However, there are bound morphemes that can also function as roots or combining forms. Take the
bound morpheme "bio-" in the word "biology." Here, "bio-" serves as a combining form, meaning
"life," and combines with the root "logy" (meaning "study of") to form the word "biology."

Another example is the bound morpheme "-graph" in the word "autograph." While "-graph" is
typically an affix meaning "writing" or "instrument for recording," in this case, it functions as a root,
referring to a person's signature.

Therefore, while most bound morphemes are affixes, there are instances where they can also
function as roots or combining forms, depending on the specific word and its context.

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