Morphology Quiz: Bound Morphemes and Structures

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Questions and Answers

What are the characteristics of bound morphemes?

They cannot stand alone and are selective to their root. (correct)

They are always derivational morphemes.

They can stand alone as words.

They are always inflectional morphemes.

Which of the following best differentiates inflectional affixes from derivational affixes?

Inflectional affixes maintain the word class, while derivational affixes may change it. (correct)

Both types of affixes are free morphemes in nature.

Inflectional affixes create new words, while derivational affixes modify existing words.

Derivational affixes only serve grammatical functions, while inflectional affixes indicate tense.

Which term describes the base of a stem?

Affix

Suffix

Root (correct)

Prefix

Which category of morphemes includes content morphemes?

Lexical morphemes Signup and view all the answers

What defines a compound in morphology?

A combination of two or more free morphemes. Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of the prefix 'lao-' in the examples provided?

It signifies age or oldness. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a nominalizer?

shua-zi (brush-ZI: brush) Signup and view all the answers

In the example provided, how is the word 'gong-ye-hua' formed?

Through the process of verbalization. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following correctly identifies the role of the suffix '-tou' in the provided examples?

It functions as a nominalizer. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following pairs correctly matches the derivational affix with its function?

'-hua' - Deriving verbs from nouns or processes. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main focus of the morphology section outlined in the content?

The formation and structure of words. Signup and view all the answers

What was the instructor's method for organizing group presentations?

Groups are determined by a form submission. Signup and view all the answers

How are the class presentations structured in terms of timing?

Groups present for 25 minutes followed by a 5-minute Q&A. Signup and view all the answers

What is required of students one week after their presentation?

Upload a finalized handout incorporating feedback received. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the class size for group presentations?

53 students divided into 14 groups with one containing five members. Signup and view all the answers

What is a distinguishing feature of derivational affixes compared to inflectional affixes?

They can change the grammatical category of the root. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately describes the productivity of inflectional affixes?

They are generally productive in creating grammatical forms. Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic is associated with the meaning of derivational affixes?

They are usually more concrete in meaning. Signup and view all the answers

Which method of word formation involves using both roots and affixes?

Affixation Signup and view all the answers

Identify the type of affix that is likely to be less productive and concrete.

Derivational affix Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of compounds is emphasized in relation to Chinese morphology?

The semantic relations between the morphemes. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement correctly describes the concept of endocentric compounds?

They derive their meaning from the head morpheme. Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of exocentric compounds?

They have a head that is not present in the compound. Signup and view all the answers

What role do the heads of compounds play?

They dictate the meaning of other morphemes in the compound. Signup and view all the answers

In which of the following languages is the concept of compounds particularly rich, as noted?

Chinese Signup and view all the answers

How are larger compounds typically treated in morphological studies?

They are built by combining multiple smaller compounds. Signup and view all the answers

Which example best illustrates a compound in Cantonese as provided?

hau-zuk 'hand-foot: friend' Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following provides an example of a classifier used as an inflectional suffix in Mandarin?

niu-zhi Signup and view all the answers

What function do the verbal inflectional affixes like V-zhe, V-le, and V-guo serve in Mandarin?

They provide aspectual marking on verbs. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the reduplication rule in Mandarin for disyllabic stems?

The entire stem is repeated. Signup and view all the answers

In Cantonese, what does the reduplication of verbs, such as in the examples 'hang-haa' and 'hok-haa', signify?

The action is performed for a short while or a little. Signup and view all the answers

What is the meaning of the Cantonese verbal suffix '-haa' when used in reduplicated forms?

To denote a brief duration of the action. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following Mandarin examples correctly illustrates the use of a classifier as an inflectional affix?

ma-pi Signup and view all the answers

How are the functions of aspectual blocking marked in Cantonese and Mandarin?

Through the addition of specific verbal inflectional affixes. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about Mandarin classifiers is incorrect?

Every noun requires a classifier. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Basic Notions

Morphology focuses on morphemes.
Distribution:
- Free morphemes (words)
- Bound morphemes
Content:
- Content/lexical morphemes (have meaning)
- Functional morphemes
Structure of a word:
- Stems (the root of a stem is called a “root”)
- Affixes
  - Inflectional affixes
  - Derivational affixes

Some Quick Reference (Language File 12th ed., 2017)

Possible kinds of morphemes
- Content morphemes:
  - Free morphemes (Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs, Bound roots, Derivational affixes)
- Function morphemes:
  - Function words (Determiners, Prepositions, Pronouns, Conjunctions, Inflectional affixes)

Inflectional vs. Derivational Affixes

Common properties:
- Bound morphemes
- Selective to their stem/root
Inflectional affixes of English: (Table of inflectional affixes with examples)
What are the differences between inflectional and derivational affixes? (Question)

Inflectional vs. Derivational Affixes (Very Briefly)

Inflectional affixes:
- Category preserving
- Productive (e.g., adding "s" to create 3rd person forms of verbs)
- More abstract
Derivational affixes:
- Potentially category changing
- Less productive
- More concrete

Word Formation

Different ways to create new words from words/morphemes
- Affixation
  - Adding inflectional affixes to roots
  - Adding derivational affixes to roots
- Compounding
  - Putting two words together
Question: Are these processes possible in Chinese?

Affixation: Inflectional Affixes

Nominal inflectional affixes
- Plural marker of animate entities (e.g., ren-men “people”)
Inflectional suffixes to indicate plural number (Chao, 1968).
Examples of classifiers used as inflectional suffixes

Affixation: Derivational Affixes

Nominalizers
Examples of derivational affixes applied to create nouns.
Prefix "lao-" (lit. old): Example words with this prefix and how they convey meaning.

Verbal Derivational Affixes

Verbalizers
Examples of derivational affixes applied to create verbs.

Adjectival Derivational Affixes

Adjectivizer
Examples of derivational affixes applied to create adjectives.
Chinese is an isolating language with less morphology than agglutinating/polysynthetic languages.

Monomorphemic Disyllabic Words

One character often = one morpheme in Chinese.
But, not always

Compounds

Compounds are especially rich in Chinese.
Compounds involve more than one morpheme.
Emphasis on semantic relations of morphemes within compound words

Coordinative/Parallel Compounds

Two roots carry similar, related, or opposite meanings
Examples: lei-dian (“thunder-lightning”), zi-nu (“son-daughter”).

Modifier-Head Compounds

One root modifies or restricts the other.
Examples: hei-ban ("black-board"), luo-ye ("fallen leaves")

Verb-Resultative Compounds

One root denotes action, the other denotes result.
Examples: chi-wan ("eat-finish"), nong-huai (“do-ruined”).

Subject-Predicate Compounds

One root is the subject, the other is the predicate (e.g., ri-chu "sun-rise”).

Verb-Object Compounds

One root is the predicate, the other is the object (e.g., dou-feng “catch-wind”).

Larger Compounds

Verb-object compound part of a larger compound.
Examples: [[xi-yi]v-ji]n “[[wash-clothes]-machine].

Heads of Compounds

Endocentric: headed compounds (e.g., hau zuk “hand foot friend”.
Exocentric: head-less compounds

Compounds (Summary – English)

English compounds are mainly endocentric and right-headed.
Headedness of compounds and phrases in Chinese.
Morphology parallels syntax

Compound vs Phrase

Headedness of compounds parallels phrasal counterparts.
Diagnostic tests on compounds– coordination, modification, movement.

Further Tests (Summarized)

Coordination, Modification, Movement
Conclusions about verbal and nominal compounds
Evidence for the LIH (Lexical Integrity Hypothesis).

Word or Phrase? Summary

Compounding important, but distinction between compounds and phrases is not straightforward.
Indirect evidence often suggestive. - Tests on syntax coordination, modification, and movement provide further context.

Appendix

The separability of mono-morphemic words refers to the ability to divide these words into identifiable components, particularly when analyzing their structural meaning and function in language. Understanding this concept aids in distinguishing between complex and simple word forms. Mono-morphemic words, being single morphemes, do not allow for further segmentation; their semantic and morphological integrity remains intact. This characteristic differentiates them from compound words, which can often be decomposed into smaller meaningful units, illustrating the complexity of lexical formation in linguistics.

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Description

Test your knowledge on the characteristics of bound morphemes, the distinctions between inflectional and derivational affixes, and the definitions of key terms in morphology. This quiz covers essential concepts that define how words are formed and categorized in linguistics.