morpheme
1 of 1noun/ˈmɔrfim/
Forms:morphemes
1
(linguistics) the smallest meaningful unit of a language that does not necessarily stand alone and cannot be divided
C2Learn more on WikipediaA morpheme is the smallest meaningful unit of language that contributes to the meaning of a word. Morphemes can be classified into two main types: free morphemes, which can stand alone as words, such as "book" or "run", and bound morphemes, which cannot stand alone and must be attached to a base word, such as prefixes or suffixes like "un-" in "unhappy" or "-ed" in "walked". Morphemes play a crucial role in word formation and grammar, as they help convey specific meanings and grammatical functions, allowing for the construction of complex words and expressions in a language.
- In linguistics, a morpheme is the smallest unit of meaning or grammatical function in a language.
- The word "unhappiness" contains three morphemes: "un-," "happy," and "-ness."
- Understanding morphemes helps linguists analyze how words are formed and how they convey meaning.
- Morphemes can be free, like "book," or bound, like the suffix "-ed" which indicates past tense.
- The study of morphemes, known as morphology, examines how these units combine to create complex words.