Difference between revisions of "Morpheme"
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===Origin=== | ===Origin=== | ||
The term ''morpheme'' was coined by [[Jan Baudouin de Courtenay]] in c. 1880. It is based on Greek ''morph-'' 'form' and the suffix -eme, on the analogy of the term ''phoneme''. See Mugdan (1986) for detailed discussion. | The term ''morpheme'' was coined by [[Jan Baudouin de Courtenay]] in c. 1880. It is based on Greek ''morph-'' 'form' and the suffix -eme, on the analogy of the term ''phoneme''. See Mugdan (1986) for detailed discussion. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===related terms=== | ||
| + | *[[formative]] | ||
| + | *[[morph]] | ||
| + | *[[amorphous]] | ||
===Reference=== | ===Reference=== | ||
Revision as of 12:17, 11 January 2008
A morpheme is the smallest meaning -bearing unit of language.
Examples
Kangaroo is one morpheme. Kangaroos is two morphemes, kangaroo and plural -s. The -s expresses the meaning 'many' or 'more than one' in this example.
Polysemy
Morpheme may also be used for 'grammatical morpheme', see morpheme (i.e. grammatical morpheme).
Synonym
- moneme (Martinet)
Origin
The term morpheme was coined by Jan Baudouin de Courtenay in c. 1880. It is based on Greek morph- 'form' and the suffix -eme, on the analogy of the term phoneme. See Mugdan (1986) for detailed discussion.
Reference
Mugdan, Joachim. 1986. Was ist eigentlich ein Morphem?
