(a) What is Morphology
Morphology is a branch of linguistics that studies the structure and formation of words in a language. It deals with the smallest units of meaning within a language, known as morphemes, and how they combine to form words. Morphology explores the internal structure of words, the relationships between words, and the rules governing their formation.
Definitions of morphology from different linguistic scholars:
- Matthews (1974):
- “Morphology is the study of the ways in which sounds are used to make sequences which carry grammatical and lexical meaning.”
- Aronoff (1976):
- “Morphology is the study of the internal structure of words.”
- Haspelmath (2002):
- “Morphology is the study of the internal structure of words and the rules of word formation.”
- Spencer (1991):
- “Morphology is the study of the internal structure of words and of the rules governing the combination of morphemes.”
- Fromkin et al. (2018):
- “Morphology is the study of the internal structure of words and the rules by which words are formed.”
Nature of morphology:
- Internal Structure: Morphology focuses on the internal arrangement of morphemes within words. It explores how morphemes, the smallest units of meaning, combine to form complex words.
- Word Formation Rules: Morphology investigates the rules and processes by which words are created. This includes understanding derivational processes (forming new words) and inflectional processes (conveying grammatical information).
- Grammatical and Lexical Meaning: Morphology is concerned with how the arrangement of morphemes imparts both grammatical and lexical meaning to words. It delves into the relationship between form and meaning in linguistic units.
- Sequence of Sounds: Many definitions emphasize the connection between morphology and phonology, emphasizing that the study of morphology includes an understanding of how sounds are organized to create meaningful linguistic units.
In summary, morphology is a crucial aspect of linguistics that delves into the structure, formation, and meaning of words in a language. It provides valuable insights into the rules governing the internal composition of words and contributes to our understanding of language structure and communication.
