Word structure
The study of word structure is called morphology. Understanding word structure helps us:
- improve spelling
- expand vocabulary
In studying word structure, we start by looking at a few key concepts first:
- root words
- prefixes
- suffixes
Root words are words, or parts of words, that can usually stand alone. The following are all root words:
- elbow
- fast
- nudge
Most root words can be changed in various ways by adding additional elements to them:
- elbows
- faster
- nudged
Each of the examples above has been altered by adding an element at the end. The elements at the end, namely -s, -er, and -ed, cannot stand alone. These elements are called suffixes.
Sometimes, elements are added to the beginning of a word:
- expose → underexpose
- appear → disappear
- take → overtake
- event → non-event
The elements added to the beginnings of the words above cannot stand alone, and are called prefixes.
Sometimes, when we add a prefix or suffix to a word, we create a new word. This process is called derivation.
- appear → appearance
The two words above are definitely two different words - the first is a verb, the second a noun. Their meanings and uses in sentences are different. In a dictionary, we would have to look them up separately, even though they have a common root word.
Sometimes, when we add a suffix, we don't create a new word at all. This process is called inflection.
- cat → cats
In the above example, we really have just one word - the first is singular, the second plural. In a dictionary, we might look for cat, but we wouldn't look for a separate entry for cats.
When words are built from a common root word, or a common ancestor in history (often a Latin word), we call the group of words a word family.
- grammar, grammatical, grammatically, ungrammatical, ungrammatically
The terms above are all built from a common root word, grammar. This word family includes a noun, adjectives, and adverbs.
The terms below are built from a common ancestor, the Latin word spectare, meaning 'to look':
- inspect, spectacle, spectacular, inspection
This word family includes verbs, nouns, and adjectives.
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