Question 5

Functions of roots, suffixes,

prefixes, inflexions

202 –group
Zhalaldin Dilnaz Nurlankyzy
Morphemic analysis uses roots and affixes to derive meaning from an unknown
word. Researchers suggest that teachers explicitly teach common roots and
affixes, including inflectional and derivational suffixes (Baumann &
Kame’enui, 2004).
The meaningful parts of a word are called morphemes, which are the smallest
units of meaning in a word. A morpheme may be a word or only part of a word,
but it may be more than one syllable.

"Knowing some common prefixes and suffixes (affixes), base words,

and root words can help students learn the meanings of many new
words" (Armbruster, Lehr, & Osborn, 2001).
A morpheme is the smallest part of a word that has grammatical
function or meaning

A root morpheme is the basic form

to which other morphemes are
attached. It provides the basic
meaning of the word.The
morpheme {saw} is the root of
sawers.
What is the root? 1

A root word is a word that does not have any other

parts added to it like prefixes, suffixes or other
roots. Root words can be further placed into two
categories: Base and root. Base words are English
words with affixes added to them. Roots are derived
from Latin or Greek and do not stand alone as a
word in English. Roots that come from Greek or
Latin words are combined with other roots or affixes
to make a word.
 How to Find the Root of a Word?
Finding the root word of a long word can be tricky depending
on what type of root the word has. If the root word is a
regular English word, then looking for affixes on the end or
beginning of the word is the first place to start

Finding the root word when the root is Latin or Greek is

more difficult because the Latin and Greek roots don't
usually stand up as their own word in English.
 Affixation. All affixes in English are
bound morpheme
1. Suffix : follow the base: dom-ek. Most common
type of affixation. Commonly category changing.

2. Prefix is added in front of the base : un-happy.

Category change infrequent (en-throne).

3. Infix : and affix that divides the root: al-bloody-

mighty, UnI- bloody-versity.
 Affixation

Affixes have specific meanings and can change

the original definition of the base word when
added.

Prefixes
A prefix is a group of letters Suffixes
that contain meaning that is a suffix is a group of letters that
contain meaning that is added
added to the beginning of a
to the end of a word.
root word
 Prefixes have three functions

Negation Direction Intensity

eject (throw out), reject (throw intense, extreme (in these

uncooperative, back), inject (throw in),
noncompliant, words i n- and ex- mean
project (throw forward), very)
antithesis. subject (throw under), dejected
(throw down)
 Derivational suffixes
Inflectional suffixes
change the part of
change number, tense or
degree. There are
speech.
Number: dog. à dogs two types fame (noun) à famous
Tense: jump à jumping, of suffixes . (adjective)
jumped quick (adjective) à
Degree: happy à happier
quickly (adverb)
(comparative), funny à
funniest (superlative) celebrate (verb) à
celebration (noun)
 Thank you

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