Linguistics: Morphology and Phonology

Morphology and Phonology

Definition

• Morphology: the study of the internal structure of words and how they are formed from smaller units such as roots, prefixes, and suffixes.
• Phonology: the study of the sound system of language, including the distribution and patterning of speech sounds.

Relationship between Morphology and Phonology

• Morphology and phonology are closely related, as the sound system of a language can influence the formation of words.
• Phonological rules can affect the shape of morphemes (smallest units of language) and the way they combine to form words.

Morphophonology

• Morphophonology: the study of the interaction between morphology and phonology.
• Examines how phonological rules apply to morphemes and how morphological processes affect the sound system of a language.

Examples of Morphophonological Processes

• Assimilation: a phonological process where a sound changes to be more similar to a nearby sound, e.g., /n/ becoming /ŋ/ before a velar consonant.
• Dissimilation: a phonological process where a sound changes to be less similar to a nearby sound, e.g., /s/ becoming /ʃ/ before a /ʃ/ sound.
• Metathesis: a phonological process where two sounds switch positions, e.g., "ask" becoming "aks".

Morphological Processes Affecting Phonology

• Prefixation: adding a prefix to a root can change the phonological shape of the root, e.g., "un-" + "break" becomes "unbreak".
• Suffigation: adding a suffix to a root can change the phonological shape of the root, e.g., "run" + "-ner" becomes "runner".
• Compounding: combining two roots can create new phonological patterns, e.g., "black" + "board" becomes "blackboard".

Key Concepts

• Phonological conditioning: the idea that phonological rules are influenced by the morphological context in which they apply.
• Morphological conditioning: the idea that morphological processes are influenced by the phonological context in which they apply.

Morphology and Phonology

Definition

• Morphology is the study of the internal structure of words and how they are formed from smaller units such as roots, prefixes, and suffixes.
• Phonology is the study of the sound system of language, including the distribution and patterning of speech sounds.

Relationship between Morphology and Phonology

• The sound system of a language can influence the formation of words.
• Phonological rules can affect the shape of morphemes (smallest units of language) and the way they combine to form words.

Morphophonology

• Morphophonology is the study of the interaction between morphology and phonology.
• It examines how phonological rules apply to morphemes and how morphological processes affect the sound system of a language.

Morphophonological Processes

Assimilation

• A phonological process where a sound changes to be more similar to a nearby sound.
• Example: /n/ becoming /ŋ/ before a velar consonant.

Dissimilation

• A phonological process where a sound changes to be less similar to a nearby sound.
• Example: /s/ becoming /ʃ/ before a /ʃ/ sound.

Metathesis

• A phonological process where two sounds switch positions.
• Example: "ask" becoming "aks".

Morphological Processes Affecting Phonology

Prefixation

• Adding a prefix to a root can change the phonological shape of the root.
• Example: "un-" + "break" becomes "unbreak".

Suffigation

• Adding a suffix to a root can change the phonological shape of the root.
• Example: "run" + "-ner" becomes "runner".

Compounding

• Combining two roots can create new phonological patterns.
• Example: "black" + "board" becomes "blackboard".

Key Concepts

Phonological Conditioning

• The idea that phonological rules are influenced by the morphological context in which they apply.

Morphological Conditioning

• The idea that morphological processes are influenced by the phonological context in which they apply.