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Smallest meaningful unit of language. Independently meaningful part of a word
Morpheme
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Morpheme used only when attached to another morpheme that can be used independently.
Bound morpheme
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Morpheme that functions without modifications, such as a word.
Free Morpheme
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Conjunctions, pronouns, auxiliary verbs, determiners, prepositions and inflectional suffixes
closed class morphemes
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Any variant of a morpheme. Ex: the "pluralizer" morpheme that makes dog - dogs, ox- oxen, horse - horses etc
Allomorph
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Morpheme that indicates something about a word's grammatical function, such as number or tense. GENERALLY realized in a suffix
Inflectional morpheme
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Morpheme, whether bound or free that contributes to formation of a new word. Often changes the word's lexical category
Derivational morpheme
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Blank space in lexicon, such that a concept lacks a word in a particular language to represent it
Lexical gap
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Word created for specific purpose in a specific moment
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Combining process reponsible for words like doghouse and facebook
Compounding
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Combining process responsible for words like undo, re-sit, reset and retake
Prefixing
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Combining process responsible for words like coolness, suffixing
Suffixing
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Shortening process in which each letter is read individually. NBA, URL
Alphabetism
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Shortening process responsible for words like CD-ROM, SCUBA and Laser
Acronymy
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Shortening process responsible for words like Fridge
Clipping
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Shortening process in which "root" words are developed after another word that's developed. Ex: Edit from Editor.
Backformation
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Shortening process in which two words are brought together, ex: ginormous
Blending
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Word-formative process in whcih a word historically belonging to one lexical category functions in another as in the verb swim becomes a noun as in "did you have a nice swim?"
Functional shift
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Word-formative process that redistributes phonemes to create new morphemes. Ex: Napron becomes Apron or eggcorn becomes acorn
Reanalysis
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Word formative process in whcih a new word emerges from a popular misunderstanding of its form or meaning. (Ex: Humble Pie)
Folk Etymology
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Word is adopted, adapted or literally translated from another example. Entrepreneur
Borrowing
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