MORPHOLOGY

Aula 1
 1. Define morpheme
It is a word or part of a word that has
meaning;
It cannot be divided into smaller
DEFINITIONS meaningful parts without violation of
its meaningless remainders; It recurs in
differing verbal environments with a
relatively stable meaning.
 2. Define and exemplify:
A) Bound morpheme
These morphemes cannot be utter
alone with meaning.

DEFINITIONS B) Free morpheme

These morphemes can be utter
alone with meaning.
 C) Affixes and their classification
Affixes are bound morphemes that
occur before, within and after a base.
They are classified as Prefixes, Infixes
DEFINITIONS and Suffixes.
Prefixes occur before a base, they are in
small number, infixes have been
inserted within a word and suffixes
occur after a base and may pile up to
three or four.
  By definition, the root is that part of the
word that remains when every other
part is removed because it carries the
core meaning of the word. The root is
the free morpheme of the word.
 Look at the word UNFAITHFULNESS.
DEFINITIONS The first word you will have is FAITH. It
is this word that you begin to modify to
have other words.
 Look at UNSATISFACTORILY for
example. You first have satisfy. Then,
satisfactory. Then, satisfactorily.
Then, UNSATISFACTORILY..
  The base is the level ground that a tree
can grow on. So, the base is that part
that can accept the growth of any tree.
Therefore, the base, by definition, is
that part of the word to which any affix
can be added.
 For example, in the word
DEFINITIONS UNFORTUNATELY, we have UN-
FORTUNE-ATE+LY. FORTUNE is the
root. It is also the base for FORTUNATE
and FORTUNATE is the base of
FORTUNATELY because it can accept
an affix or modification and
FORTUNATELY is the base to
UNFORTUNATELY.
  The stem is the whole tree. So, it is the
stem of the word. It is the word in the
last stage before an inflectional affix is
added. The STEM is that part to which
the last affix is added and this is usually
an inflectional affix.
DEFINITIONS
 For example, the word DRIVERS. DRIVE
is the root and adding ER derives a new
word but adding S to the word does not
derive something new. You see DRIVER
being the part that the last inflectional
affix is added? That’s the stem.
 Examples Name
Dogs, oxen, mice Noun plural

Boy’s Noun singular

possessive
Boys’, men’s Noun plural
possessive
Dances, eats, drives Present third-
person singular

INFLECTIONAL
discussing Present participle

Chewed, rode Past tense

AFFIXES Chewed, eaten, Past participle
swum
Bolder, sooner, Comparative
nearer
Boldest, soonest, Superlative
nearest
  The words to which these affixes are
attached are called stem.
 Stem includes the base or bases and
INFLECTIONAL all the derivational affixes.
AFFIXES  Playboys = Playboy
 Beautified = Beautiful
 Inflectional suffixes differ from the
derivational affixes in the following way,
to which there are few exceptions.
They do not change the part of speech
sled, sleds (nouns)
They come last in a word
shortened, villainies, industrializing
They go with all stems of a given part of
speech
He eats, drinks, dreams
They do not pile up; only one ends a
word
flakes, working, higher, written
  Write the morphemic symbol and
name for inflectional affix in boldface
type.
1. The flagpole stood in front of Main
Hall
2. Four pledges were initiated
3. Shirley pledges to do her best
PRACTICE 4. The pledge’s shirt was torn
5. We were discussing the editorial
6. The novel was shorter than I
expected
7. They waited at the dock
8. Which is the longest route?
9. Have you taken calculus yet?
 1. The flagpole stood in front of Main
Hall – {-D pt}
2. Four pledges were initiated – {-s pL}
3. Shirley pledges to do her best– {-s 3d}
4. The pledge’s shirt was torn– {-s sg ps}
ANSWER 5. We were discussing the editorial– {-
KEY ing vb}
6. The novel was shorter than I
expected– {-er cp}
7. They waited at the dock– {-D pt}
8. Which is the longest route? – {-est sp}
9. Have you taken calculus yet? – {-D pp}
 Derivational suffixes consist of all the
suffixes that are not inflectional
Important characteristics of
derivational suffixes
Arbitrary matter
DERIVATIONAL
SUFFIXES To make a noun from the verb adorn
we must add {-ment}
To make a noun from the verb fail we
must add
{-ure}
Some Cases
Derivational suffixes can change the part of
speech of the word to which it is added

Act Active Activate

(Noun) {-ive} (Adjective) {-ate}
(Verb)

Do not Close a word

Derivational suffixes usually do not close off a
word, after a derivational suffix it is possible to
add another derivational and an inflectional suffix
Fertil – Fertilize {-ize} – {-er} – {-s}
 WORDS DS
Happy {-hood} / {-ancy}
Friend {-acy} / {-th}
PRACTICE
Girl {-ism} / {-ure}
1. Make nouns using the Compose {-ness}
words and the derivational
suffixes Shrink {-ment}
Active {-age}
Supreme {-y}
True {-ation}
Pagan {-ship}
discover {-ity}
 1. Happiness 7. Supremacy
2. Friendship -Supremeness
3. Boyhood 8. Truism
ANSWER 4. Composure -Trueness
KEY 5. Shrinkage -Thruth
6. Activism 9. Paganism
-Activeness 10. Discovery
-Activation
-Activity
 Without DS With DS
PRACTICE Break Breakage
Desire Desirable
2. N (noun) / V (verb) / AJ
(adjective) / AV (adverb)
Conspire Conspiracy
Rehearse Rehearsal
Ideal Idealize
False Falsify
Sweet Sweetly
Doubt Doubtful
 Break – ( V or N ) / Breakage – ( N )
Desire – ( V or N ) / Desirable – ( Aj )
Conspire – ( V ) / Conspiracy – ( N )
Rehearse – ( V ) / Rehearsal – ( N )
ANSWER Ideal – ( N or Aj ) / Idealize – ( V )
KEY False – ( Aj ) / Falsify – ( V )
Sweet – ( Aj ) / Sweetly – ( Av )
Doubt – ( V ) / Doubtful – ( Aj )
 3. Add a derivational suffix to each of
these words, which already end in a
derivational suffix.
a) Reasonable
b) Formal
PRACTICE c) Organize
d) Purify
e) Realist
 Reasonable
reasonableness
Formal
formality
Organize
ANSWER
organization
KEY
Purify
purification
Realist
realistic
 Both inflectional and derivational
suffixes have homophone forms.
 Inflectional Morpheme has two
homophones
{-er cp}
SUFFIXAL Verbs to nouns
HOMOPHONES Hunter, fisher, lover
“That which performs the action of the
verb”
{-er n} It may also be attached to
nonverbal
New Yorker, teenager
“That what is related to”
{-er rp} derivational
Chatter, mutter, patter, glitter
“repetition”
{-ing vb} inflectional has two
homophones
{-ing nm} nominal derivational
Meetings, weddings, readings
As it ends in derivational it
allows {-s pl}
{-ing aj} adjectival morpheme
Charming woman
Test {-ing vb} x {-ing aj}
 It can occur after or before the
noun it is modifying
Example:
I saw a burning house
I saw a house burning
 It can be preceded by a qualifier
such as very, rather, quite or by
the comparative and superlative
words more/most
Example:
It was a very comforting
thought
This is a more exciting movie
The adjectival {-ing aj} can occur
after “seems”
That snake seems interesting
That snake seems crawling
{-D pp} verbal inflectional has a
homophone in adjectival derivational
{-D aj}
She is excited about her new job
She is a devoted mother
{-D aj} are easy characterized by the
its capacity for mofication by
qualifiers such as rather, very, quite,
etc.
A rather intrigued book have
been launched recently
{-ly av} form adverbs of
manner, as in
rich richly
kind kindly
formal formally
Happy happily
NOTE: It does not happen with
big, small, little, tall, long
 {-ly aj} derivational – adjectival
1. Monosyllabic nouns to form
adjectives that are inflected with
{-er} {-est}
love lovely
friend friendly
man manly
2. Nouns to form adjectives not
inflected with {-er} {-est}
king kingly
mother motherly
3. Added to a few adjectives to
alternate forms of adjectival that
are also inflected with {-er} {-est}
dead deadly
sick sickly
4. Added to a short list of “time”
nouns to form adjectives
day daily
month monthly
 1. Add an inflectional suffix to each of
these words, which end in derivational
suffix.
a) Kindness
b) Beautify
PRACTICE c) Quarterly
d) Popularize
e) depth
f) Pressure
g) Arrival
h) Orientate
 a) Kindness - kindnesses
b) Beautify - beautified
c) Quarterly - quarterlies
d) Popularize - popularized
ANSWER
e) depth - depths
KEY
f) Pressure - pressures
g) Arrival - arrivals
h) Orientate - orientated
 2. Identify the italicized {-er} as:
{-ER cp} inflectional as in bigger
{-ER n} derivational as in singer
{-ER rp} derivational as in flutter
a) This is a heavier tennis racket
than I want
PRACTICE b) We watched the shimmer of the
evening light
c) The fighter weighed in at 180
pounds
d) He was tougher than he looked
e) The jabber of voices came
through the open door
 a) This is a heavier tennis racket than
I want {-ER cp}
b) We watched the shimmer of the
evening light {-ER rp}
ANSWER c) The fighter weighed in at 180
KEY pounds {-ER n}
d) He was tougher than he looked
{-ER cp}
e) The jabber of voices came through
the open door {-ER rp}
 3. Identify the {-ing’s} of the
underlined words by these symbols
PRACTICE {-ING vb} verbal
{-ING nm} nominal
{-ING aj} adjectival
a) It was a charming spot
b) Jim lost both fillings from his tooth
c) She saw the waiting cab
d) It was exciting to watch the flight
e) Old saying are often half-true
f) From the bridge we watched the
running water
g) That barking dog keeps everyone awake
h) He told a convincing tale
i) The shining sun gilded the forest floor
j) Matisee’s drawings are magnificently
k) A refreshing shower poured down
 a) It was a charming spot – Aj-al
b) Jim lost both fillings from his tooth – N-al
c) She saw the waiting cab – V-al
d) It was exciting to watch the flight – Aj-al
e) Old saying are often half-true – N-al

ANSWER f) From the bridge we watched the running

water – V-al
KEY g) That barking dog keeps everyone awake – V-
al
h) He told a convincing tale – Aj-al
i) The shining sun gilded the forest floor – V-al
j) Matisee’s drawings are magnificently – N-al
k) A refreshing shower poured down – Aj-al
 4. Identify the bold words by these
symbols
{-D pp} verbs
PRACTICE
{- D aj} nonverbals
a) You should read the printed
statement
b) Merle was a neglected child
c) This is a complicated question
d) His chosen bride had lived in India
e) He brought a stolen picture
f) The invited guests all came
g) We had a reserved seat
h) The skipper was a reserved(=quiet)
man
i) A celebrated painter visited the
campus
j) A worried look crossed his face
 a) You should read the printed statement – {-
D pp}
b) Merle was a neglected child – {D Aj}
c) This is a complicated question – {D Aj}
d) His chosen bride had lived in India – {-D pp}
e) He brought a stolen picture – {-D pp}
ANSWER
f) The invited guests all came – {-D pp}
KEY
g) We had a reserved seat – {-D pp}
h) The skipper was a reserved man – {D Aj}
i) A celebrated painter visited the campus –
{D Aj}
j) A worried look crossed his face – {D Aj}
  Homophones are pairs of words that
sound the same but have distinctly
different meanings and different
spellings.
• E.g. cell/sell: If you sell drugs,
you will get arrested and end up
Homophones in a prison cell.
• cent/scent: I won't spend
one cent on a bottle of perfume
until I know that I love the scent.
• die/dye: If you accidentally
drank a bottle of fabric dye, you
might die.