Types of words

The branch of linguistics in charge of studying the smallest meaningful units of language (i.e., morphemes), their different forms, the internal structure of words, and the processes and rules by which words are formed is called:

• Morphology

• Syntax

• Phonology

• Semantics

• Pragmatics

A ___________ is the smallest unit of language that has a meaning or a grammatical function and form words or parts of words.

There are two types of free (or independent) morphemes.

• Lexical and Functional

• Grammatical and Bound

• Root and Referential

• Prefixes and Suffixes

Mark those which ARE NOT examples of free morphemes

• cat

• un-

• -less

• bold

• give

Bound roots and affixes (or dependent morphemes) are

• morphemes which never occur alone as words

• free morphemes which have little or no meaning on their own

• morphemes that constitute content (and function) words by themselves

How do you feel about this topic?

• I'm the bomb!

• Can manage but need more practice.

• I feel lost.