MORPHOLOGY

Word Classes
and Affixes

Main Divisions of Word Classes

(Parts of Speech):
Content Words

Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
Adverbs

Function Words

Conjunctions
Prepositions
Articles
Pronouns

Exercise: Determine the word class

of each of the following words
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.

canine
the
him
elegant
inconvenience
eloquently
comply
inasmuch as
over

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.

Noun
Article
Pronoun
Adjective
Noun
Adverb
Verb
Conjunction
Preposition

Morpheme:
The minimal unit of meaning
Free morpheme: a single
morpheme that constitutes
a word and can stand alone.

Bound morpheme: a morpheme

that must be attached to
another morpheme.

Question #2
a, b, i, j, k, l, m
Example:
Retroactive = retro + act + ive
Free morpheme = act
Bound morphemes = retro-, -ive

English Affixes
(based on the position)
Prefix: An affix
that occurs
before a
morpheme

Suffix: An affix
that occurs
after a
morpheme

English Prefixes
Examples of Negative Prefixes:
unnondisaExamples of size and degree prefixes:
mini- suboversuper-

English Suffixes
Class preserving
suffixation:
-er lecturer
-ian librarian
-ist scientist
-let piglet

Class changing suffixation:

Verb Noun
perform performance
Adjective Adverb
nice nicely
Adjective Noun
active activity

Affixes
(based on the function)
Inflections vs. Derivations

Definition
Derivational

morpheme: deriving
(creating) a new word
with a new meaning.

Inflectional

morpheme: changing
the form of a word
because of the rules
of syntax.

English Inflectional Morphemes

Nouns
s
s
Verbs
s
ed
en
ing
Adjectives
er
est

plural
possessive

third person singular present

past tense
past participle
progressive
comparative
superlative

Some examples of English

Derivational Morpheme

-ic
-ance
-ly
-ity
-able

: Noun Adj
: Verb Noun
: Adj Adv
: Adj Noun
: Verb Adj

; alcohol alcoholic
; clear clearance
; exact exactly
; active activity
; read readable

-ship : Noun Noun ; friend friendship

re-

: Verb Verb ; cover recover

in-

: Adj Adj

; definite indefinite

Describe the italic affixes:

1)

2)
3)
4)

5)
6)

7)

impossible
terrorized
terrorize
desks
dislike
humanity
fastest

1) Derivational prefix

2) Inflectional suffix
3) Derivational suffix
4) Inflectional suffix

5) Derivational prefix
6) Derivational suffix

7) Inflectional suffix

Describe the italic affixes:

8)

9)
10)
11)
12)
13)

14)

premature
untie
darken
fallen
oxen
faster
lecturer

8) Derivational prefix

9) Derivational prefix
10) Derivational suffix
11) Inflectional suffix
12) Inflectional suffix
13) Inflectional suffix

14) Derivational suffix

Thats All For Today

See You Next Week