{"id":1225,"date":"2021-05-02T02:57:37","date_gmt":"2021-05-02T02:57:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/psyclanguage\/chapter\/morphemes\/"},"modified":"2023-02-03T00:06:08","modified_gmt":"2023-02-03T00:06:08","slug":"morphemes","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/psyclanguage\/chapter\/morphemes\/","title":{"raw":"3.2 Morphemes","rendered":"3.2 Morphemes"},"content":{"raw":"If we consider meaningful units in a language, we come to a unit beyond which we cannot derive further meaning. This smallest unit of meaning is known as a [pb_glossary id=\"482\"]morpheme[\/pb_glossary]. Consider the word \u2018dogs.\u2019 It is composed of two morphemes: \u2018dog\u2019 and \u2018s\u2019 with the latter conveying the plural number. Here we see that while \u2018dog\u2019 can be a [pb_glossary id=\"483\"]free morpheme[\/pb_glossary], \u2018s\u2019 cannot. Such a morpheme which always needs to be connected to other morphemes is known as a [pb_glossary id=\"484\"]bound morpheme[\/pb_glossary].\r\n\r\nOne important issue to keep in mind is that while some words are morphemes, not all morphemes are words. Words can be made up of numerous morphemes. In a sentence such as \u201cJon found the box to be unbreakable\u201d we know there are seven words. However, we can break that sentence into nine morphemes as: \u201cJon found the box to be un-break-able\u201d.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_448\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"700\"]\"Illustrates Figure 3.1 Examples of Morphemes[\/caption]\r\n\r\nIn Figure 3.1 we see examples of free and bound morphemes. The -er and -ing in writer<\/em> and talking<\/em> are known as [pb_glossary id=\"485\"]suffixes[\/pb_glossary]. These are morphemes that attached to the ends of other morphemes. Examples include the plural suffix -s and the past tense -ed. English also has [pb_glossary id=\"486\"]prefixes[\/pb_glossary] as in reheat, invisible and disagree.\r\n

Allomorphs<\/h1>\r\nPreviously we came across the concept of an allophone. These were variations of the smallest sound unit in a language or phoneme. Similarly, the smallest unit of meaning in a language, the morpheme, can also have variations called [pb_glossary id=\"488\"]allomorphs[\/pb_glossary]. These allomorphs often vary depending on the environment. The most common example of this is the indefinite article \u2018a\u2019. It comes from the Old English \u0101n meaning one or alone. Gradually, the n<\/em> was lost before consonants by the 15th century so you get the allomorphs a<\/em> and an<\/em>. So, you say \u2018a book\u2019 but \u2018an apple\u2019. Some allomorphs actually change the form of words due to over analysis. For example, a norange<\/em> overtime became an orange<\/em> because people thought the initial n was part of the indefinite article. Similarly, an ekename<\/em> \/i\u02d0kne\u026am \/ (from Middle English eke<\/em> or suppliment) was analysed as a nickname<\/em>. This time the n<\/em> in an<\/em> became attached to the following word.\r\n\r\nAnother example of an allomorph in English is the plural suffix -s. This comes in three variations: [s], [z], and [\u0259z]. So, after a unvoiced consonants we get [s] as in carrots and books. It is pronounced [z] after voiced segments as in friends and iguanas. It is also pronounced (and written) differently in words such as churches and bushed.\r\n

Media Attributions<\/h3>\r\n