Morphology Flashcards, test questions and answers

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What is Morphology?

Morphology is the branch of linguistics that studies the structure of words, how they are formed, and how they can be put together to create different meanings. It is a very important part of language because it helps us understand how words are used in order to communicate and comprehend different messages. Morphology looks at the form and meaning of words, as well as the rules governing their formation. It also examines how these forms are related to each other, and how they can be combined with other linguistic elements to create complex structures.Morphology looks at both inflectional and derivational processes when examining word formation. Inflectional processes involve changes in a word’s form which don’t alter its basic meaning (e.g., ˜cats’ vs ˜cat’). Derivational processes involve changes in a word’s form which do alter its basic meaning (e.g., ˜teach’ vs ˜teacher’). Morphologists also examine affixation (the addition of prefixes or suffixes to a root) as well as compounding (the joining together two separate words). Additionally, morphologists study how certain sounds may influence or change the meaning or form of a word (such as assimilation or reduplication). Finally, morphological analysis helps us understand more complex grammatical structures such as verb tenses, passive voice constructions, subordinate clauses etc. In short, morphology provides an essential foundation for understanding language structure and use making it an invaluable tool for linguists.