Word Structure & Morphological Analysis Flashcards

Which process is illustrated when 'text' becomes 'to text' (as in texting a message)?

Answer: Conversion (zero derivation)

Conversion (zero derivation) changes a word's grammatical category without adding any affix.

In the compound word 'blackbird,' what is the relationship between the two roots?

Answer: The first root modifies the second

In English compounds, the first element typically modifies the head (second element), so 'black' modifies 'bird.'

What does the plural morpheme in 'oxen' illustrate?

Answer: A historical (archaic) suffix -en

'Oxen' retains the archaic Old English plural suffix '-en,' still used in a few English words.

Which word contains a PREFIX that means 'against' or 'opposite'?

Answer: antiwar

The prefix 'anti-' in 'antiwar' means against or opposing something.

In morphological analysis, a 'stem' is best defined as:

Answer: The base form to which affixes are attached

A stem is the base form of a word to which inflectional or derivational affixes are added.

The term 'agglutinative' describes a language that:

Answer: Strings multiple distinct morphemes together with clear boundaries

Agglutinative languages attach multiple morphemes to a root with clear, separable boundaries, unlike fusional languages.

Which of the following words is formed through BACK-FORMATION?

Answer: televise (from television)

'Televise' was back-formed from 'television' by removing what speakers interpreted as a suffix.