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Questions and Answers
What does an inflectional affix do to a word?
What does an inflectional affix do to a word?
The meaning of the stem plus inflection is always unpredictable.
The meaning of the stem plus inflection is always unpredictable.
False
How many inflectional morphemes can occur at a time on a given word in English?
How many inflectional morphemes can occur at a time on a given word in English?
one
Where do inflections occur in relation to derivational affixes?
Where do inflections occur in relation to derivational affixes?
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In English, all inflectional affixes are prefixes.
In English, all inflectional affixes are prefixes.
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Which sentence best describes the productivity of inflections?
Which sentence best describes the productivity of inflections?
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Study Notes
Inflectional Affixes Overview
- Inflectional affixes modify a word's form without changing its core meaning or lexical category.
- Example: "cat" becomes "cats" (adding the plural suffix).
Predictability of Inflections
- The combination of a stem and inflection yields predictable meanings.
- For instance, a noun combined with a plural inflection always indicates more than one object of that noun.
Productivity of Inflections
- Inflectional forms are universally applicable within their category.
- All English verbs can be inflected for past tense, although exceptions exist with irregular verbs.
Position of Inflectional Affixes
- Inflections are positioned at the word's edges.
- They are applied after any derivational affixes have been added, ensuring correct morphological structure.
Limitations on Number of Inflectional Morphemes
- Only one inflectional morpheme can be present on any given word in English.
Nature of Inflectional Affixes
- All inflectional affixes in English function as suffixes, meaning they are added to the end of words.
- However, not every suffix qualifies as inflectional; some are derivational or serve other grammatical purposes.
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Description
Test your knowledge on inflectional affixes with these flashcards. Each card teaches essential concepts and examples related to inflections, demonstrating how they alter word forms without changing their meanings. Ideal for linguistics students or anyone interested in grammar.
