Define morphology

Morphology: Study of Word Structure

• Morphology helps us understand how words are formed from smaller units called morphemes.

Key Concepts in Morphology

• Morphemes: The smallest units of meaning in a word.

• Word Formation: Processes like combining morphemes to create new words.

Components of Word Structure

• Prefixes

• Added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning

• Example: "un-" in "unbreakable" (un - )

• Base Words

• The main part of a word

• Example: "break" in "unbreakable"

• Suffixes

• Added to the end of a word to modify its meaning or function

• Example: "-able" in "unbreakable" ( - able)

Example: Breaking Down a Word

• The word "unbreakable" is made up of three morphemes:

• un - (prefix meaning "not")

• break (base word)

• - able (suffix meaning "capable of")

• un + break + able → unbreakable