What is a word?

• is an arbitrary set of symbols used in recording an

approximation of what is said
What is a morphemic word?
• a linguistic form consisting of a base and a superfix,
with or without one or more affixes
 Principal types of words
1. Simple words
A. Base only:
house, copper, aspirin, macaroni, salamander, high,
table, cotton, enter, deny

B. Base + inflectional suffix:

swims, simplest, impresarios
2. Complex words
A. With bound stem + derivational suffix
placate, rupture, legible
B. With prefix + bound stem
circumvent, corrupt, inert, uncouth
C. With free stem + derivational suffix
1. Stem a simple word
singer, pliable, manly, easy
2. Stem a complex word
conductor, pliability, manliness, easily
D. With prefix + free stem
1. Stem a simple word
untie, imply, disprove, retool
2. Stem a complex word
reconvert, uneasy, subatomic, intramural
3. Compound Words
A. Two elements, both simple words
blackboard, hothouse, house-coat, drug
store, by-pass, lookout
B. Three elements, all simple words
son-in-law, longshoreman,
nevertheless, instead of, in spite of
C. Two elements, one complex
adhesive tape, homing pigeon,
Christmas tree, postage-stamp,
easy chair, tax-collector
D. Two elements, both complex
elevator-operator, cigarette lighter,
movie actor, singing student
E. Two elements, one or both compound
lookout tower, football player,
tightrope-walker, hardware-salesman
4. Compound-Complex Words
A. Compound Word + derivational suffix
dry-cleaner, forthrightness, folklorist,
moonshiner
B. Prefix + compound word
ex-housewife, supersalesman,
rebroadcast