Words are structures that are used every day in speech, writing, and communication. Individual words are made of specific parts, each with their specific function and meaning.
Morphemes and Base Words
The smallest unit of meaning in language is called a morpheme. These morphemes, which may or may not be a complete word in any given language, are the building blocks for creating words by adding prefixes, suffixes, and other parts of words.
A base word is a morpheme or group of morphemes that have one complete meaning. Base words can be short, such as "but," or much longer. These are the parts of language that are used to communicate, but are also used to build more complicated words with more intricate meanings.
Prefixes and Suffixes
According to Merriam-Webster Online, prefixes and suffixes are morphemes that are added to base words to change their meaning. Many of the prefixes and suffices that are used in the English language are borrowed from Latin or Greek.
A prefix is a morpheme that is added to the beginning of a base word to alter the base word's meaning. These prefixes usually have their own meaning that enhances the defintion of the base word, such as adding the prefix "a-" to the base word "typical" or create the word "atypical."
A suffix is a morpheme that is added to the end of a word and usually changes what part of speech the word is classified as. For example, the suffix "-ly" can be added to the adjective "atypical" to become the adverb "atypically."
Other Methods of Word Formation
Merriam-Webster Online also defines several other methods of word formation. Each of these methods involve altering base words or the definitions of existing words to fit in the English language.
One of the more basic formation techniques, borrowing, involves borrowing an existing word from another language and introducing it into the English language without any alteration to the existing word. Currently, over 120 languages have influenced the English language throughout history.
Truncation, also known as shortening or clipping, is the process of forming a word by shortening another word. An example would be forming "flu" from "influenza."
Blending is a technique in which parts of two words are put together to create a new word, such as taking parts of "motor" and "hotel" to form "motel." There are no overlapping parts in words that are formed from the blending method, which makes them different from compound words, which do share morphemes.
Words are formed in many different ways, just as there are many different words in the English language to describe various aspects of life. Through various types of word formation, words are constantly changing in order to satisfy the need to communicate in various life situations.
Ashley Anderson - Ashley is an Ohio-based writer and editor with specializations in higher education, writing, and social activism.
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