CHAPTER 1 MORPHEMES

TON DUC THANG UNIVERSITY
Faculty of Foreign Languages
MORPHOLOGY - 001167

Chapter 1: MORPHEMES

Designed by Lam Quang Tuyet Minh
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CHAPTER 1
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Definition of Morphemes
1.3 Free and Bound Morphemes
1.4 Bases
1.5 Affixes
1.6 Inflectional Affixes
1.7 Derivational Affixes
1.8 Suffixal Homophones
1.9 Noun Feminine Forms
1.10 Noun Diminutive Forms
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1.2 DEFINITION
Morphology: The study of processes according to which
morphemes combine to form words
[Stageberg, 2000:83]

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1.2 DEFINITION
Morphemes: the smallest meaningful unit in a
language. [Richards, Platt & Weber (1987)]
Morphemes: the smallest individually meaningful
elements in the utterances of a language. [Charles
Hockett (1958)]
e.g. teacher = {teach} + {-er}
students = {student} + {-s}
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1.3 FREE and BOUND MORPHEMES
Morphemes: Free and Bound

A free morpheme: the one that can be uttered alone
with meaning. [Stageberg, 1983: 85]
e.g. eat, certain, house, happy…
A bound morphemes: may occur only when they
combine with another morpheme. [Jackson, 1980:
53]
e.g. inter-, -vene, -er, -ly…
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1.4 BASES
Morphemes: Bases and Affixes
A base: part of words that has the principal
meaning.
e.g. loveable, annoyance, re-enter, denial,
audience

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1.4 BASES
Free bases: can stand alone as a word when the

attached morphemes are removed.
e.g. unbreakable; friendship
Bound bases: never occur on its own and can be

joined to other bound morphemes.
e.g. sentiment, occur, monogamy

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1.5 AFFIXES
An affix:
a bound morpheme occurring
before, within, or after a base

PREFIX
unhappy, independent,
discovery

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INFIX
geese, men, wrote

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AFFIX
happily, actor, loneliness

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1.6 INFLECTIONAL AFFIXES
The schema of the Inflectional affixes:
1. {-s pl}:
dogs, oxen, mice
2. {-s sg ps}:
boy’s, girl’s
3. {-s pl ps}:
boys’, girls’
4. {-s 3d}:
vacates, walks
5. {-ING vb}:
discussing
6. {-D pt}:
chewed, rode
7. {-ER cp}:
bolder, nearer
8. {-EST sp}:
boldest, nearest

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1.6 INFLECTIONAL AFFIXES
The characteristics:
- Do not change the part of speech
- Come last in a word
- Go with all stems
- Do not pile up

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1.7 DERIVATIONAL AFFIXES
Derivational affixes can change the meaning or the
word class of the words/ bases which they are added
to.
e.g. unhappy, inconvenient, adornment, failure,
lecturer

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1.8 SUFFIXAL HOMOPHONES
Some suffixes, inflectional and derivational,
have homophonous forms.
{-ER}

{-ER cp}

bigger, fatter, smaller

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{-ER n}

teacher, worker, fisher

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{-ER rp}

chatter, mutter, patter

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1.8 SUFFIXAL HOMOPHONES
Homophonous forms:

{-ING}

{-ING vb}

sleeping, burning,
talking

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{-ING nm}

meeting, painting,
wedding

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{-ING aj}

charming, exciting,
interesting

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1.8 SUFFIXAL HOMOPHONES
Homophonous forms:

{-D}

{-D aj}

{-D pp}

excited, devoted, interested

chosen, given, finished

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1.8 SUFFIXAL HOMOPHONES
Homophonous forms:
Homophonous
forms:

{-ly}

{-ly av}

{-ly aj}

kindly, formally, happily

friendly, manly, lovely

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1.9 NOUN FEMININE FORMS
English has a small number of nouns with
feminine derivational suffixes.
SUFFIX

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MASCULINE

FEMININE

-e

fiancé

fiancée

-ette

farmer

farmerette

-ine

hero

heroine

-ess

tiger

tigress

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1.10 NOUN DIMINUTIVE FORMS
The morphemes convey a meaning of smallest or
endearment or both.
1. –ie, -i, -y
auntie, Willy
2. –ette
dinette, towelette
3. –kin, -ikin, --kins
lambkin, manikin
4. –ling
duckling, darling
5. –et
circlet
6. –let
booklet, starlet

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HOMEWORK
Do the exercises in:
• [2]: 16-26, 28-43, 44-58
• [3]: 9, 87-113
• [4]: 1-27, 157-189
• [5]: 62-72

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