Introduction to Linguistics Ms. Suha Jawabreh Lecture 16

Derivational vs. Inflectional What is the difference between derivational and inflectional morphemes? 1. An inflectional morpheme never changes the grammatical category of a word. Example : old (adj), older (adj), oldest (adj)

2. A derivational morpheme can change the grammatical category of a word. Example: teach (v), teacher (n) Question : what is the difference between –er in older and –er in teacher?

Morphs & allomorphs Answer the following questions: 1. What is the plural of cat. book? 2. What is the plural of dog, thing? 3. What is the plural of bus, maze, judge, church,bush? 4. What is the plural of sheep, deer? 5. What is the plural of criterion, syllabus? 6. What is the plural of man,mouse ? 7. What is the plural of ox? 8. What is the plural of child? 9. What is the plural of wife, knife?

Answers : 1.cats, books 2.dogs, things 3.buses, mazes, bushes, judges, churches. 4.sheep, deer 5.criteria, syllabi 6.men, mice 7.oxen 8.children

Allomorphs of the morpheme ‘plural’ 1.plural –s /s/, /z/, / ə z/ 2.Zero-morph ∅ 3. The addition of an unusual suffix 4.E.g. –i, -a. –en 5.Vowel change 6.Vowel change + The addition of an unusual suffix 7. consonant change + /z/

Answer the following questions: 1.What is the past tense of: Walk, kill, start, decide, buy, eat, see, keep, make, go, be?

Allomorphs of the morpheme ‘past tense’ 1. –ed /t/, /d/, / ə d/ 2. Vowel change 3. Vowel change + the addition of an unusual suffix 4. Consonant change 5. Suppletion ( a complete change )