Difference between revisions of "Morpheme"
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| − | A '''morpheme''' is the smallest meaning -bearing unit of language. | + | A '''morpheme''' is the smallest meaning-bearing unit of language. The term thus refers to the smallest component of a word that (a) seems to contribute some sort of meaning, or a grammatical function to the word to which it belongs, and (b) cannot itself be decomposed into smaller morphemes. |
===Examples=== | ===Examples=== | ||
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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. | ||
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| + | ===Controversy=== | ||
| + | The concept "morpheme" is not uncontroversial. A number of linguists dispute the explanatory power of the morpheme as a theoretical construct, and also dispute the notion that the morpheme has any psychological reality (cf. Bochner). Consider, for example, the following singular~plural pairs in English: "kangaroo"~"kangaroos"; "mouse"~"mice"; "child"~"children"; "sheep"~"sheep"; "person"~"people". | ||
===related terms=== | ===related terms=== | ||
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===Reference=== | ===Reference=== | ||
Mugdan, Joachim. 1986. Was ist eigentlich ein Morphem? | Mugdan, Joachim. 1986. Was ist eigentlich ein Morphem? | ||
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| + | === Links === | ||
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| + | [http://www2.let.uu.nl/UiL-OTS/Lexicon/zoek.pl?lemma=Morpheme&lemmacode=562 Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics] | ||
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===Other languages=== | ===Other languages=== | ||
Revision as of 19:14, 17 February 2009
A morpheme is the smallest meaning-bearing unit of language. The term thus refers to the smallest component of a word that (a) seems to contribute some sort of meaning, or a grammatical function to the word to which it belongs, and (b) cannot itself be decomposed into smaller morphemes.
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.
Controversy
The concept "morpheme" is not uncontroversial. A number of linguists dispute the explanatory power of the morpheme as a theoretical construct, and also dispute the notion that the morpheme has any psychological reality (cf. Bochner). Consider, for example, the following singular~plural pairs in English: "kangaroo"~"kangaroos"; "mouse"~"mice"; "child"~"children"; "sheep"~"sheep"; "person"~"people".
Reference
Mugdan, Joachim. 1986. Was ist eigentlich ein Morphem?
Links
Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics
