Difference between revisions of "Root"
Haspelmath (talk | contribs) (New page: A '''root''' is a part of a word with lexical meaning that cannot be broken down further. ===Examples=== In the words ''un-ripe'', ''rip-en'' and ''rip-er'', the root is each time...) |
Wohlgemuth (talk | contribs) m (+ utrecht, linkfix) |
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| − | A '''root''' is a part of a [[word]] with [[lexical meaning]] that cannot be broken down further. | + | A '''root''' is a part of a [[word]] with [[lexical meaning]] that cannot be broken down further. ''Root'' is a term which is not uniquely defined. Some linguists consider the root to be the basic [[free morpheme]] in a [[derivation|derived form]]. |
===Examples=== | ===Examples=== | ||
In the words ''un-ripe'', ''rip-en'' and ''rip-er'', the root is each time ''ripe''. The [[morpheme]]s un-. -en and -er have grammatical rather than lexical meaning and therefore are [[affix]]es, not roots. | In the words ''un-ripe'', ''rip-en'' and ''rip-er'', the root is each time ''ripe''. The [[morpheme]]s un-. -en and -er have grammatical rather than lexical meaning and therefore are [[affix]]es, not roots. | ||
| + | |||
| + | If we take the form ''disagreement'', this word contains the basic free morpheme ''agree'' and the two bound morphemes (or affixes) ''dis''- and -''ment''. Some linguists (e.g. Spencer (1991)) call ''agree'' the root. Others (e.g. Halle (1973)) assume that ''agree'' is the stem, and reserve the notion 'root' for bounded morphemes which cannot be considered as affixes. For example, if we take the words ''receive, conceive'' and ''deceive'', we can isolate the prefixes ''re-, con''- and ''de''- and the bound morpheme ''ceive''. Only Halle (1973) calls ''ceive'' the root. | ||
===Origin=== | ===Origin=== | ||
The term ''root'' originates in Hebrew linguistics and was unknown in Western linguistics until the 16th century, when Hebrew linguistics was discovered by non-Jewish linguists. | The term ''root'' originates in Hebrew linguistics and was unknown in Western linguistics until the 16th century, when Hebrew linguistics was discovered by non-Jewish linguists. | ||
| − | === | + | ===Links=== |
| − | [http:// | + | {{wikipedia|Root_%28linguistics%29}} |
| + | * [http://www2.let.uu.nl/UiL-OTS/Lexicon/zoek.pl?lemma=Root&lemmacode=356 Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics] | ||
| + | |||
| + | === References === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Halle, M. 1973. ''Prolegomena to a Theory of Word-Formation,'' Linguistic Inquiry 4, pp. 451-464 | ||
| + | * Spencer, A. 1991. ''Morphological Theory,'' Blackwell, Oxford. | ||
| + | |||
===Other languages=== | ===Other languages=== | ||
Latest revision as of 17:41, 21 February 2009
A root is a part of a word with lexical meaning that cannot be broken down further. Root is a term which is not uniquely defined. Some linguists consider the root to be the basic free morpheme in a derived form.
Examples
In the words un-ripe, rip-en and rip-er, the root is each time ripe. The morphemes un-. -en and -er have grammatical rather than lexical meaning and therefore are affixes, not roots.
If we take the form disagreement, this word contains the basic free morpheme agree and the two bound morphemes (or affixes) dis- and -ment. Some linguists (e.g. Spencer (1991)) call agree the root. Others (e.g. Halle (1973)) assume that agree is the stem, and reserve the notion 'root' for bounded morphemes which cannot be considered as affixes. For example, if we take the words receive, conceive and deceive, we can isolate the prefixes re-, con- and de- and the bound morpheme ceive. Only Halle (1973) calls ceive the root.
Origin
The term root originates in Hebrew linguistics and was unknown in Western linguistics until the 16th century, when Hebrew linguistics was discovered by non-Jewish linguists.
Links
Wikipedia: Root_%28linguistics%29 (English)References
- Halle, M. 1973. Prolegomena to a Theory of Word-Formation, Linguistic Inquiry 4, pp. 451-464
- Spencer, A. 1991. Morphological Theory, Blackwell, Oxford.
Other languages
German Wurzel
