Morpheme: Difference between revisions
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===Origin=== | ===Origin=== | ||
The term ''morpheme'' was coined by [[Jan Baudouin de Courtenay]] in c. 1880. It is based on Greek ''morph-'' 'form' and the suffix -eme, on the analogy of the term ''phoneme''. See Mugdan (1986) for detailed discussion. | The term ''morpheme'' was coined by [[Jan Baudouin de Courtenay]] in c. 1880. It is based on Greek ''morph-'' 'form' and the suffix -eme, on the analogy of the term ''phoneme''. See Mugdan (1986) for detailed discussion. | ||
===Controversy=== | |||
The concept "morpheme" is not uncontroversial. A number of linguists dispute the explanatory power of the morpheme as a theoretical construct, and also dispute the notion that the morpheme has any psychological reality (cf. Bochner). Consider, for example, the following singular~plural pairs in English: "kangaroo"~"kangaroos"; "mouse"~"mice"; "child"~"children"; "sheep"~"sheep"; "person"~"people". | |||
===related terms=== | ===related terms=== | ||
Revision as of 11:11, 6 February 2009
A morpheme is the smallest meaning -bearing unit of language.
Examples
Kangaroo is one morpheme. Kangaroos is two morphemes, kangaroo and plural -s. The -s expresses the meaning 'many' or 'more than one' in this example.
Polysemy
Morpheme may also be used for 'grammatical morpheme', see morpheme (i.e. grammatical morpheme).
Synonym
- moneme (Martinet)
Origin
The term morpheme was coined by Jan Baudouin de Courtenay in c. 1880. It is based on Greek morph- 'form' and the suffix -eme, on the analogy of the term phoneme. See Mugdan (1986) for detailed discussion.
Controversy
The concept "morpheme" is not uncontroversial. A number of linguists dispute the explanatory power of the morpheme as a theoretical construct, and also dispute the notion that the morpheme has any psychological reality (cf. Bochner). Consider, for example, the following singular~plural pairs in English: "kangaroo"~"kangaroos"; "mouse"~"mice"; "child"~"children"; "sheep"~"sheep"; "person"~"people".
related terms
Reference
Mugdan, Joachim. 1986. Was ist eigentlich ein Morphem?