LIN204H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Connation, Bracket, Homophone
Document Summary
Morphemes: the units of meaning considered fundamental in a language are its morphemes, the components of its words. The smallest unit of meaning in a language. In order to differentiate morphemes from words and syllables, braces are used to surround sequences of sounds identified as morphemes {-est} If a word cannot be divided into any smaller meaningful components, then it, too, is a morpheme gaining new morphemes. The use of morphology as a resource for forming and comprehending new words remains important even after you have acquired language because you are continuously encountering new words. Watergate scandal of the 1970s americans acquired a new morpheme, {-gate}, meaning (cid:498)scandal involving government figures. (cid:499) {father} means (cid:498)a man in relation to his natural child or children(cid:499) {-hood} means (cid:498)a covering for the head and neck(cid:499) {wide} means (cid:498)broad, or of great or more average width(cid:499)
