DERIVATIONAL AND INFLECTIONAL MORPHEMES: DEFINITIONS, DIFFERENCES

I> Inflectional morphemes II> Derivational morphemes III> Differences between derivational suffixes and inflectional suffixes

I> Inflectional morphemes

alter the form of a word without changing either its lexical category or its central meaning. [Finegan, 1994:86] E.g.: -Ns & Prons: mark grammatical categories: gender, number (girl-girls, sheher) -Vbs.: mark things: tense, number (He works, they worked) -Adjs.: indicate : degree (taller than me)

can be suffixes or infixes

II> Derivational morphemes

Certain bound morphemes have the effect of changing the lexical category of the world to which they are affixed. [Finegan, 1994:84] Derivational morphemes can produce new words from existing words in 2 ways. First, they can change the meaning of words Second, they can change the lexical category of a word, thereby permitting it to function differently in a sentence [Finegan, 1994: 86] E.g.: un- +true+ -th+ -ful+ -ness= untruthfulness

can be prefixes or suffixes

Derivational S.
Is applied to any morpheme that adds up to the root to form a word. It influences the meaning of a word. In many cases, but not all, changes the word class of the word to which it is added. E.g.: discover(v)discovery(n); hope(n)hopeless(adj); vicar(n)vicarage(n)

Inflectional S.
Is only applied to any morphemes serving to derive a grammatical form and having no lexical meaning on its own. Does not change the word class of the word to which it is added. E.g.: boy(n)boys(n); boys(n); boys(n)

Derivational S. Inflectional S. Goes with some stems Goes with all stems of arbitrarily. E.g.: a given part of work(n)worker(n); speech. E.g.: He eats, agree(v)agreement(n); drinks, sings, enjoys, fail(v)failure(n) motivates, Needs not close off a word: Comes last in a word after a derivational suffix (lengthened, one can sometimes add nationalizations) & another derivational suffix closes off a word. & can frequently add an Does not pile up, only inflectional suffix. E.g.: 1 ends a word. E.g.: person+ -al+ -ity+ He sings; singing; es=personalities worked

 exception: {s pl. ps.}, the plural possessive of the noun, can pile up after a word. E.g.: the students worries N pl.M & N Poss.M Relative order of morphemes in the English word:
DERIV.PREFIX_ROOT_DERIV.SUFFIX(ES)_INFL. SUFFIX

Exercises
I> Add a derivational affix to a word to change the word class of the word according to the requirements. 1. Child (n)(adj)___ 2. Fame (n)(adj)___ 3. Accuse (v)(n) 4. Accomplish (v)(n) 5. Casual (adj)(adv) 6. Colony (n)(v) 7. Vaccine (n)(v) 8. Big (adj)(n) 9. Important (adj)(n) 10. Day (n)(adv) 11. Student (n)(adv) 12. Hard (adj)(v) 13. Civil (adj)(v) 14. Continue (v)(adj)

Answer key
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. Child (n)(adj) childish; childless; childlike Fame (n)(adj) famous Accuse (v)(n) accusation Accomplish (v)(n) accomplishment Casual (adj)(adv) casually Colony (n)(v) colonize Vaccine (n)(v) vaccinate Big (adj)(n) bigness Important (adj)(n) importance Day (n)(adv) days; daily Student (n)(adv) studentwise Hard (adj)(v) harden Civil (adj)(v) civilize Continue (v)(adj) continual

II> Add a derivational affix to a word but still

keep the word class of the word according to the requirements. Moral (adj)(adj) Mobile (adj)(adj) Biography (n)(n) Husband (n)(n) Natural (adj)(adj) Read (v)(v) Circle (n)(n) Marine (adj/n)(adj/n)

Vicar (n)(n) Pun (n)(n)

Friend (n) (N) Alcohol (n) (n) Cartoon (n) (n) Book (n) (n)

America (n) (n)

New Jersey (n) (n)

Answer key
Moral (adj)(adj) Amoral; immoral Mobile (adj)(adj) Immobile Biography (n)(n) Autobiography Husband (n)(n) Ex-husband Natural (adj)(adj) Supernatural; unnatural Read (v)(v) Reread Circle (n)(n) Semi-circle Marine (adj/n)(adj/n) Submarine

Vicar (n)(n) Vicarage Pun (n)(n) Punster

Friend (n) (N) Friendship Alcohol (n) (n) Alcoholism Cartoon (n) (n) Cartoonist Book (n) (n) Booklet America (n) (n) American New Jersey (n) (n) New Jerseyite