Morphology(Mid-term test)

1. Consider the following words:

            (a) tigers                      (b) untimely                 (c) decorating

                 speakers                        uniquely                     decentralising

            (d) wholesome            (e) consumed               (f ) leucocyte

                 gruesome                     consumption                erythrocyte

(i). Divide them into morphemes, noting any instances where you are unsure. What 

      differences are there between the words in each pair?

    

tiger-s (2 morphemes) Speak-er-s (3 morphemes)	un-time-ly (3 morphemes) unique-ly (2 morphemes)	decorate-ing (2 morphemes) de-central-ize-ing (4 morphemes)
whole-some (2 morphemes) Gruesome (1 morphemes)	consume-d (2 morphemes) consumpt-ion (2 morphemes)	Leu-cocyte (2 morphemes) Erythrocyte (1 morpheme)

                                                     

           

(ii).Which of these morphemes are free and which are bound? Are the  bound morphemes all  

       affixes, or are some of them roots or combining forms? Some of them are roots or combining forms.

Tiger (free morpheme)-s (bound morpheme) Speak (free morpheme)-er-s (bound morphemes)	Un (bound morpheme)-time (free morpheme)-ly (bound morpheme) unique (free morpheme)-ly (bound morpheme)	Decorate (free morpheme)-ing (bound morpheme) De (bound morpheme)-central (free morpheme)-ize-ing (bound morphemes)
Whole (free morpheme)-some (free morpheme) Gruesome (bound morpheme)	Consume (free morpheme)-d (bound morpheme) consumpt -ion (bound morphemes)	Leu-cocyte (bound morphemes) Erythrocyte (bound morpheme)

(iii). Do any problems arise here for the view that morphemes are ‘the smallest units of 

       language that can be associated with meaning’ or ‘the minimal units of meaning’? Yes, they do.

                                                                                                                                                      

2. Draw tree structures for the words incomprehensible, redisposal and disestablishment as an   

    argument  for the word unhappiness as follows:

                                                            N

                                                 

                                                A

                                   

                                    Af                    A         Af

                                    un                 happy     ness

incomprehensible =                                        A        

                                                                                    A

                                               

Af                    V                     Af

in             comprehens             ible

redisposal =                                        N

                                                                                    N

           

                                                Af                    V                     Af

re              dispos                     al

disestablishment =                                            N

                                                          V

Af            V                 Af

dis      establish            ment

3. Create new words for each of the following situations.

a)      Use a product name...for the act of scrubbing with Ajax.                                                    

 ‘I ajaxed the tub after giving Fido a bath.’

b)      Use a proper name...for the act of breaking dishes, which Jonathan does regularly.

 ‘He’s going to crash all of my best dishes.’

c)      Use an acronym...for your uncle’s second oldest brother.                                            

     ‘We visited my USOB at Christmas.’

d)     Use clipping...for a course in ovinology(the study of sheep).                                      

    ‘Have you done your Ovin assignment yet?’

e)      Use a blend...for the name of a cafetaria that serves only chocolate, beverages, cakes, icecreams etc.

‘Let’s meet later at the Chogeskescreamecra for a drink.’

4. the following sentences contain both derivational and inflectional affixes. Underline all of   

    the inflectional affixes.

a)      The farmer’s cows escaped.

b)      It was raining

c)      Those socks are inexpensive.

d)     Jill needs the newer copy.

e)      Fido has a broken leg.

f)       The strongest rower won.

g)      The pit bull has bitten the cyclist.

h)      She quickly closed the book.

i)        The dramatization went well.

j)        The dispute was eventually resolved after protracted negotiations