A morphological process is a change in the form of a word that corresponds to a regular change in the meaning of the word.
Kinds of Morphological Processes
Affixation
The form of a word changes by adding another morpheme (Affixes) to it.
Link to original
Alternation
The form of a root changes in some regular way.
Link to originalsing
/siŋ/→ sang/sæŋ/, sink/siŋk/→/sæŋk/, stink/stiŋk/→/stæŋk/, tooth/tuθ/→ teeth/tiθ/, goose/gus/→ geese/gis/
Suppletion
A root is changed completely and unpredictably.
Link to originalgo
/goʊ/→ went/wɛnt/, I/aɪ/→ we/wi/, me/mi/
Reduplication
A morpheme is repeated.
Link to original人
/hito/→ 人々/hitobito/
Compounding
independent words are combined together.
Link to originaltext + book = textbook, air + conditioner = air-conditioner
Functions of Morphological Processes
- Transforming a word from one lexical category to another.
fury
/fjɹ̩i/+ ous/əs/= furious/fjɹ̩iəs/, furious/fjɹ̩iəs/+ ly/li/= furiously/fjɹ̩iəsli/, furious/fjɹ̩iəs/+ ness/nɛs/= furiousness/fjɹ̩iəsnɛs/ - Expressing a gradation of meaning.
green
/gɹin/+ -ish-/ɪʃ/= greenish/gɹinɪʃ/, clear/kliɹ/+ un-/ʌn/-= unclear/ʌnkliɹ/, flat/flæt/+ -er-/ɹ̩/= flatter/flætɹ̩/ - Expressing a grammatical category.
- Number: singular, dual, plural.
cat
/kæt/+ s/z/= cats/kætz/ - Tense: Whether an event took place in the past, present, or future.
climb
/klaɪm/+ d/d/= climbed/klaɪmd/ - Aspect: How an event is unfolding in time. e.g., progressive, perfect.
climb
/klaɪm/+ ing/ɪŋ/= climbing/klaɪmɪŋ/ - Person: Who is performing an event. e.g., first, second, third person.
climb
/klaɪm/+ s/z/= climbs/klaɪmz/ - Others: gender, possession, case, …
- Number: singular, dual, plural.
Productivity
Morphological processes can be productive or unproductive.
Productive process
A productive process can apply freely to any root within a lexical category.
/-nɛs/: angry+ness, cool+ness
Unproductive process
An unproductive process only applies to certain roots in a lexical category.
/-θ/: warmth, *coolth