Lesson 5
WORD STRUCTURE
Content
• Definition
Morpheme • Classification
• Definition
Words • Classification
A- MORPHEME
1. Definition
Morphology is the level of linguistic analysis that deals with morphemes, which are the
minimal units of linguistic form and meaning.
◦ Morpheme is the smallest meaningful unit in a language
◦ The morpheme is not necessarily equivalent to a word, but may be a smaller unit.
A- MORPHEME
1. Definition
◦ Morphemes are represented within curly braces{ } using capital letters.
◦ For example, sawed, sawing, and saws can all be analyzed into the morphemes
sawed = saw + ed → 2 morphemes: {saw } + {pastpart}
sawing = saw + -ing → 2 morphemes: {saw } + {presentpart}
saws = saw + -s → 2 morphemes : {saw } + {pl}
on = {on}
A- MORPHEME
2. Classification
(Root word) (Root word)
A- MORPHEME
2. Classification
Grammatical morphemes may be parts of words (inflectional
affixes) or small but independent “function words”
belonging to the minor word classes: preposition, article,
demonstrative, conjunction, auxiliary, and so on, e.g., of, the,
that, and, may.
Inflectional morphemes do not create separate words. They
merely modify the word in which they occur in order to
indicate grammatical properties such as plurality, as the {-s}
of magazines does, or past tense, as the {ed} of babecued
does.
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A- MORPHEME
2. Classification
An inflectional affix in English is always a suffix;
there may be only one per word.
The function of inflectional affixes is to indicate
grammatical meaning, such as tense or number.
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A- MORPHEME
2. Classification
Lexical morphemes express lexical, or dictionary meaning.
They can be categorized into the major lexical categories, or
word classes: noun, verb, adjective, or adverb.
Derivational morphemes are added to forms to create
separate words.
For example, {paint}+{-er} creates painter, one of whose
meanings is “someone who paints.”
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A- MORPHEME
2. Classification
A derivational affix in English is either a prefix or a suffix.
There may be more than one derivational affix per word.
A derivational affix has one of two functions: to convert one
part of speech to another or to change the meaning of the
root .
Example: The underline parts are derivational affixes.
shorten unhappy
unavoidable dishearten ed
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A- MORPHEME
2. Morphemic Analysis
In morphemic analysis, words are analyzed into morphemes, recognizing the abstract units
of meaning present.
Morphemic analysis
in NOUNS
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A- MORPHEME
2. Morphemic Analysis
In morphemic analysis, words are analyzed into morphemes, recognizing the abstract units
of meaning present.
Morphemic analysis
in ADJECTIVES
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A- MORPHEME
2. Morphemic Analysis
In morphemic analysis, words are analyzed into morphemes, recognizing the abstract units
of meaning present.
Morphemic analysis
in VERBS
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A- MORPHEME
2. Morphemic Analysis
In morphemic analysis, words are analyzed into morphemes, recognizing the abstract units
of meaning present.
Morphemic analysis
in PRONOUNS
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A- MORPHEME
3. Morphemic Analysis Practice
Analyze the following words into morphemes.
1. Best = Writers’ 3 morphemes [write] + {-er}+ {poss}
2. Children = 2 morphemes [child] + {pl}
3. People = 2 morpheme [person]+ {pl}
4. Carefulness = 3 morphemes [care] + [ful] + {-ness}
5. Our = 2 morphemes [1st p] + {pl} + {poss}
6. Teeth = 2 morphemes [tooth] +{pl}
7. Most = 2 morphemes [many] + {supl}
8. Landholder = 3 morphemes [land] + [hold] +{-er}
B- WORD
1. Definition
In linguistics, a word can be defined as the smallest sequence of morpheme that can be written
in isolation with objective or practical meaning.
A word can be a morpheme (root word); but a morpheme is not necessarily a word.
Eg. On/ run: can be either a word or a free morpheme.
un/ ed: can’t be a word
B- WORD
2. Classification
Depending on their structure and type of formation words are divided into:
◦ simple words:
◦ Deprives:
◦ Compounds:
◦ Derivational compounds:
B- WORD
2. Classification
SIMPLE WORDS: consist of a root morpheme
e.g. agree, child, red, room, house, work, ………
DERIVATIVES: consisting of a root morpheme and one or more derivational.
e.g. development, quickly, friendship, personify, teacher, discover……
COMPOUNDS: consisting two or more root morphemes.
e.g. chairperson, car-sick, sweetheart, football,………
DERIVATIVE COMPOUNDS: a suffix or a prefix is added to a compound word.
e.g. long-legged, broad-shouldered, oval-shaped, fair-haired, bald-headed, hot-tempered,
strong-willed…….
B- WORD
3. Practice
Arrange the following words into a) simple; b)derived; c) compounds; d) derivational
compounds.
a. Simple words: old, toy, powers, famous.
b. Derived words: biggish, handy, boyishness, exception, lovable, appearance, measurable,
responsible, effortless, humanity, successfully, inscribe, polished
c. Compound words: railway, breakdown, everything, sunrise, whatever, timesaving, weekend,
deaf-mute, light-blue
d. Derivational compound words: ill-mannered, honey-mooner, narrow-minded, often-hearted
