MORPHEMES

By :
Nasyratul Fathiah bt Mohd Farid
PISMP Science, Sem 5,2010
IPG KDRI, Kuala Terengganu
 WHAT IS MORPHEMES?

• The term comes from the Greek

word morph, meaning shape or form.
• The smallest unit of meaning.
•  It is concerned with the structure of
words.
•  Morphemes can be classified as either
free or bound.
•

TYPES OF MORPHEMES
 affix: a morpheme that comes at the beginning
(prefix) or the ending (suffix) of a base
morpheme.  Note: An affix usually is a morpheme
that cannot stand alone.  Examples: -ful, -ly, -
ity, -ness. A few exceptions are able, like,
and less.
 base: a morpheme that gives a word its meaning.  The
base morpheme cat gives the word cats its meaning:
a particular type of animal.
 prefix: an affix that comes before a base morpheme. 
The in in the word inspect is a prefix.
•
 FREE MORPHEMES

 A free morpheme is a unit of meaning which

can stand alone or alongside another free
or bound morpheme.
 Free morphemes are units of meaning which
cannot be split into anything smaller.
 Can stand alone as words of a language.
 Most root words in English is free
morphemes.

 These are usually individual words, such
as:
 - lid
 - sink
 - air
 - car
 - cat



 However, the terms 'gate', 'butter' and
'flower' can also exist alongside
another free morpheme. The following
examples comprise two free morphemes
 - gate + post 
 - butter + milk
 - sun + flower
 BOUND MORPHEMES

 Bound morphemes  are also units of

meaning which cannot be split into
anything smaller.
 They are different from free morphemes
because they cannot exist alone.
 They must be bound to one or more free
morphemes.
 Almost all prefixes and suffixes are
bound morphemes.
BOUND MORPHEMES
Prefixes asymmetrical, subordinate,    
 unnecessary
Suffixes cowardice, fruitful, 
swimming
 References
• Bauer, Mary Beth, et al., Grammar and Composition.  New Jersey: Prentice-Hall,
Inc., 
    1982.
• Fromkin, Victoria, and Robert Rodman.  An Introduction to Language.  5th ed. 
    Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace Joanovich College Publishers, 1993.
• Hacker, Diana.  The Bedford Handbook for Writers.  3rd ed.  Boston: Bedford 
    Books of St. Martin's Press, 1991.
• Kolln, Martha, and Robert Funk.  Understanding English Grammar.  5th ed. 
    Boston:  Allyn and Bacon, 1998.
• http://www.buzzin.net/english/morphol.htm
• http://grammar.about.com/od/fh/g/freemorphterm.htm
• http://grammar.about.com/od/ab/g/boundmorphterm.htm
• http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~deguchm/j417/1014.pdf
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bound_morpheme
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morpheme
• http://www.ling.ohio-state.edu/~kdk/201/autumn01/slides/morphology-4up.pdf
• http://www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/caneng/morpheme.htm