LECTURE 3 Morphology & Syntax

Suffixal homophonesImmediate constituents

Learning Objectives: 1.To know suffixal

homophones.2.To produce words with

suffixal homophones

3.to analyze immediate constituents of words

4 .draw tree diagrams

Suffixual homophones

a group of suffixes that have the same sounds but they have different meanings. For example:A.(Er cp) has two homophones .

1 .The first is the derivational suffix (Er-n) which is attached to verb to form

nouns. This is highly productive suffix .

Activity 1Give 5 examples the derivational

suffix (Er-n): •1.•2.•3.•4.•5.

It is used to produce hundreds of English nouns. E.g. hunter. It is called the agent -er and conveys the meaning of that which perform the

action of the verb stem .2.The second –er morphemes

appears at the end of words like chatter. This –er conveys the meaning of repetition.

EX 8-17 /P 100

Identify the italicized –er:1 .This is a heavier tennis rocket than I want.

2 .We watched the shimmer of the evening light.3 .The fighter weighed 180 pounds.

4 .He was tougher than he looked.

B. the verbal inflectional suffix{ING-vb} has two homophones in ing: 1. The first one is the nominal deviational

suffix{ING nm} examples: weddings, readings. 2. The second is the adjectival morpheme{ING aj} as in : a charming woman.

EX 8-18 Identify the italicized words by these symbols

V-al =verbal {ING vb}N –al=nominal {ING nm}Aj-al=adjectival {ING aj}

1 .It was a charming spot.2 .Jim lost both fillings from his tooth.

3 .She saw the waiting cab.4 .It was exciting to watch the fight.

5 .Old sayings are often half true.

EX 8-18 Identify the italicized words by these symbols 1-15

•HOME WORK 6-10

C. The verbal inflectional {-D pp} has a homophone in the adjectival derivational {-D aj}.

eg. Helen was excited about her new job.

This means that the past participle can be adjective

EX 8-19 Identify the suffixes of the italicized words with these symbols:

•V-al={D pp}; Aj={D aj}1 .You should read the printed statements.

2 .A worried look his face.3 .This a complicated question.

4 .His chosen bride had lived in India.

D. The adverbial derivational suffix{-LY av} is added to adjectives to form adverbs of manner, as in kind; kindly, formal; formally, happy; happily.

EX 8-21 Identify the italicized ly as {LY-av},{LY-aj}:

1 .The witness testified falsely.2 .Grace has a deadly wit.

3 .Janet always behaved with a maidenly demeanor.

4 .He tiptoes softly into the room.5 .Jimmy received a weekly allowance.

(EX 6-10)

Noun Feminine Forms

•suffix•-e

•-enne•-ess

•fiancé•Comedian

•prince

•fiancée•Comedienne

Noun Diminutive Forms

In English six diminutive nouns can be found. They are morphemes that convey a meaning of smallest or endearment or both:

1-.ie,-i,-y as in Betty, sweetie, Willy.2-.ette as in dinette, towelette.

3-.kin as in babykins.4-.ling as in duckling, darling(=little dear).

5-.et as in circlet6-.let as in booklet, starlet

Immediate Constituents IC

What the four types of morphemes are?These morphemes are put together to form words. For example, the word cheerful is composed of two parts.

-cheer ful-gentle/man/ly

When we analyze a word we divide /cut it into parts of which it

seems to have been composed .We do this until we reduce a word to its ultimate constituents, that is to the unit morphemes /layers of

structure of which it is composed .

Two points:1 .If a word ends in inflectional

suffix, the first cut is between the suffix and the rest of the word, as in preconceiv/ed, malformation/s.

2 .One of the IC should be a free morpheme.

A free morpheme is one that can be uttered alone with meaning.

Examples: Analyze these words to their immediate constituents(draw tree

diagrams)

-enlargement-independent

insupportable

EX 8-25 p 108

•Home work•One of the IC showing the layers of structure

is wrong. Which is it and why?

EX 8-26 Diagram these words to show the layers of structure.

•- itemized•-preprofessional•-newspaperdom

•-lifelessness•-malconstruction

•-contradictory•-disenthrone

H W EX 8-26 Diagram these words to show the layers of structure

- mid after noon-super natur al

-un com fort able-fest iv al

-en gag ing-ex press ion ism

-mis judg mentTHE END