Morphology

Question 1

Morphology

Answer 1

The study of the structure of words: how words are formed, classified, and grammatical purposes

Question 2

Morpheme

Answer 2

The smallest meaningful constituent of a linguistic expression

In english, a morpheme is often a full word

Question 3

Root word/morpheme

Morphemes

Answer 3

The semantic base or centre of a word; the smallest unit around which a new word is built

Can be free: ‘literal’ or bound: ‘bio’

Question 4

Stem

Morphemes

Answer 4

Any morpheme or combination of morphemes to which an inflectional affix can be added

Question 5

Free

Morphemes

Answer 5

A word that is a singular morpheme/unit

Question 6

Morphemes

Bound

Answer 6

Morphemes that cannot stand alone

e.g. -s (indicating possession/a plural)
all affixes are bound

Question 7

Affixation

Prefix

Morphemes

Answer 7

Morphemes that are added to the front of words

E.g. uncool

Question 8

Affixation

Suffix

Morphemes

Answer 8

Morphemes that are added to the end of words

E.g. slyly

Aus English uses suffixation as colloquialism which indicates the register and more.

Question 9

Affixation

Infix

Morphemes

Answer 9

Morphemes that can be added to the middle of words

Standard English does not do this, but is a part of casual language and word play. E.g. ‘abso/bloody/lutely’

Question 10

Inflectional

Bound

Morphemes

Answer 10

Providers of additional grammatical information such as plurality or tense

e.g. elephants or played or her’s

Inflectional morphemes are always suffixes

Question 11

Derivational Morphemes

Bound

Morphemes

Answer 11

Change the meaning of words, create new words, or change the word class

e.g. swim(m)er (suffix), unkind (prefix)

Often spelling changes: happy - happily (happi/ly)

Question 12

Morphological over-generalisation

Answer 12

When familiar patterns are incorrectly applied to new words

E.g. proudfoots vs. proudfeet

Common in children and people learning English as a second language

Question 13

Affixation

Word formation processes/morphological patterning

Answer 13

The process of adding affixes to words

Question 14

Shortening

or Reductions, or Abbreviations

Word formation processes/morphological patterning

Answer 14

Dropping the endings (sometimes beginnings) of a word to create a shorter form

E.g. refridgerator - fridge, gymnasium - gym.

Question 15

Compounding

Word formation processes/morphological patterning

Answer 15

The process of creating new words by putting two free morphemes together

E.g. Blueberry, or facebook

Etymology can help to explain older compounds such as nostril

Question 16

Blends

Word formation processes/morphological patterning

Answer 16

Words produced by using parts of two words to create a new one

E.g. ‘bromance’: brother/romance

Question 17

Backformation

Word formation processes/morphological patterning

Answer 17

The process or result of creating a new word via inflection

E.g. Laser - lase, Editor - edit

Question 18

Initialisms

Word formation processes/morphological patterning

Answer 18

Made from the beginning letter(s) in a sequence of words, but still pronounced as a series of letters.

E.g. RSPCA

Typically capatalised, and sometimes have full stops between letters (R.A.C.V)

Question 19

Contraction

Word formation processes/morphological patterning

Answer 19

Combining two words into one

E.g. I will - I’ll

Mostly informal, apostrophe indicates contraction

Question 20

Acronym

Word formation processes/morphological patterning

Answer 20

The combination of the first letter(s) from a series of words, which is pronounced as its own word

E.g. Lol, Scuba

Usually not capitalised unless the name itself was a propernoun e.g. ANZAC

Question 21

Conversion

Word formation processes/morphological patterning

Answer 21

Converting words from one word class to another without affixation

E.g. Email (noun) or email (verb)

Question 22

Collocations

Word formation processes/morphological patterning

Answer 22

Words within phrases that are so closely associated that hearing one often automatically provides the other

Can occur in cliches (safe and sound), or word pairing (rancid butter and sour milk).