Morphology definitions

Morph

Physical realization of a morpheme

Allomorph

Different morphs that represent the same morpheme

A phonologically distinct variant of a morpheme

Zero morph

A morph that is not represented physically

A morph that is not overtly represented

Empty morph

When a morph does not realize a morpeheme

A morph that does not represent any morpheme

Portmanteau morph

A morph that simultaneously represents several grammatical elements

A morph that realizes various morphemes

Conversion

A type of word formation in which the category of a base is changed with no corresponding change in its form

Clipping

Formation of a new word form with the same meaning but lopping off a portion of it

Blending

A type of word formation in which parts of words that are not themselves morphemes are combined to form a new word

Backformation

A process where a word is formed by subtracting a piece, usually an affix, from a word that appears to be complex

Endocentric

Having a head. In endocentric compounds the compound as a whole is of the same category and semantic type as its head

Exocentric

Lacking a head. In exocentric compounds the compound as a whole is not of the category or semantic type of either of its elements

Copulative

Is a construction in which all the constituents are in the same level

Umlaut

The fronting of a back vowel if the next syllable contains a front vowel

Ablaut

the change in a root vowel which indicates a change in the grammatical function

Syncretism

Is when a single word form serves multiple grammatical functions

Homonym

Two identical words in pronunciation and in writing with unrelated meanings.

Loanword

When you take the term itself and its meaning, without any kind of change.

Loanshift

When you take the meaning of the word but you change the term.

Trysillabic laxing rule

Is a process that affects certain vowels in words. A stressed vowel in a trisyllabic word becomes “lax” if it is followed by at least two more syllables, one of which is unstressed