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2023 English Language Metalanguage Glossary - Morphology & Lexicology

Updated: Apr 24, 2023


Morphology

& Lexicology

Word Classes

Term

Definition & Functions

Examples

Nouns

​Names person/place/thing

Can be pluralised, made possessive, and can be created utilising a noun forming derivational morpheme.

​bread

bread's

breads

sadness

Verbs

Describes an action - a doing word.

Can change tense, and can be created with a verb forming derivational morpheme.

running

Auxiliary Verbs

Can take negative inflection.

The base can be altered to change tense.

Comes before a lexical verb

do/be

Modal Verbs

Type of auxiliary verb.

Expresses modality.

Can take negative inflection.

Comes first in verbal element

can/may

Adjectives

Describes a noun.

Can use inflections to show extent (or more/most)

fast / fastest

Adverbs

Describes adjectives, verbs, or other adverbs.

Can take inflections to show extent and can be created with adverb-forming derivational morphemes.

slowly

Prepositions

Expresses geographical space or time.

(head of prepositional phrase)

on top of

Pronouns

Substitutes for nouns.

Have different inflectional forms.

myself, her, they

Conjunctions

Coordinate 2 syntactical elements (of equal weight)

​and/but

that/if (subordinating)

Determiners

​Introduce noun phrases

​the/that

Interjections

​Exclamations generally separate to a sentence

yay

Function Words

​Syntactical glue that holds words together

Pronouns, conjunctions, auxiliary verbs, determiners, modal verbs, prepositions

Content Words

Carry the meaning in sentences

Nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives


Morphology

& Lexicology

Affxation

Term

Definition

Function

Examples

Prefix

Morpheme added to the start of a word

To change:

- meaning

- word class

un + friend = unfriend

Suffix

Morpheme added to the end of the word

To change:

- meaning

- word class

- grammatical properties

friend + ly = friendly

Infix

Morpheme added in the stem of a word

To change:

- to insert swear words

​abso-bloody-lutely


Morphology

& Lexicology

Word creation/loss

Term

Definition

Examples

Inflection

​Addition of a bound morpheme to change the grammar, not class or meaning

The girl plays at the beach

The girl played at the beach

The was playing at the beach

Derivation

Addition of a bound morpheme to change class or meaning

happiness

Root Morphemes

Morphemes that are the meaningful part of a word

unknowingly

Bound Morpheme

Morphemes that cannot stand alone as a word

unknowingly

Free Morphemes

Morphemes that can stand alone as words

​unknowingly

Morphology

& Lexicology,

& Word Loss

Term

Definition

Examples

Blends

Combining existing words into a new one, incorporating the meaning of both

Acronyms

​Words created from the first letter in an order of words

(pronounced as a word)

NASA

Initialisms

​Words created from the first letter in an order of words

(pronounced as individual)

ANZ

Shortenings

Words that are a smaller version of another word

approx (approximate)

Compounding

Combination of existing words

comeback

Contractions

Shortened versions of existing versions of words or word orders, generally with an apostrophe

don't (do not)

Collocations

Words which often appear beside each other


Create cohesion within speech

under + cover = undercover

Neologisms

New words

Borrowing

Acquisition of words from another language


Expand the lexicology of a language

churro

Commonisation

When a the brand name becomes so commonly used as the name for an item


Simplification

kleenex

Archaism

Words no longer used


Create a formal register

Morphology

& Lexicology,


suffixation in australian english

shortenings with a diminutive suffixation

footy

Morphology

& Lexicology,

conversion of word class

word formation

google it

creative word formation

^

lexical choice and patterning

choice and repetition of features


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