Morphology Exercises
Simple vs. Complex Words
1. In the following, identify which of the lexemes are simple and which ones are complex.
Further identify the bound morphemes.
Lexeme simple / complex? stem/root/base bound morphemes
impossibility poss- im-, -ible-, -ity
overrated rate over-, -ed(*)
replacement place re-, -ment
snowman man (+snow)
friendships friend -ship, -s*
undertaker take under-, -er
crack crack
magically magic -al, -ly
ingratitude grat- in-, -itude
rhinoceros rhinoceros
unimaginable imagine un-, -able
railway station station (+rail +
way)
unquestionably question un-, -able, -ly
good-looking look (+ good) -ing
halflings half -ling, -s*
* inflectional suffixes, the other affixes are derivational
For discussion:
refuse ? fuse (not a free -re
morpheme in
English)
unlockable 2 meanings: un-, -able
not to be
locked vs.
impossible to
lock
criteria criteri- -a (Greek plural)
ungainly ? gain not a free (un- and –ly appear to be
morpheme in bound morphemes, but are
this usage they?)
destination ? stin ? de-, -ation
Affixation
1. Find examples that use the following prefixes:
a/an- amoral, anaerobic ab- abnormal anti- anti-intellectual
counter- counterproductive dis- disloyal for(e)- forgo
in- / etc. immoral, mal- maladjusted meta- meta-linguistic
inacceptable
non- non-conformist out- outmoded over- overbearing
pre- predestined pseudo- pseudo-intellectual re- redo, recall
un- unfair, undo under- underrated up- uplift, upkeep
2. Find examples that use the following suffixes. Mark where the result is a different word
class from the unaffixated root:
laugh -able* economic -al claim -ant *
regist(r) -ar * li(e) -ar/* litera -ary*
peddler -er budget
certify -(c)ate* south -bound* patri -cide
star -dom employ -ee* strength -en*
depend -ence* correspond -ent * employ -er*
Dylan -esque* organ -ic * val(ue) -id*
gentry -(i)fy * project -ile * intend -(t)ion
serv(e) *
marginal -ise/-ize* freak -ish (*) Stalin -ism*
Trotsky -ite * inept -itude* stupid -ity*
abort -ive * clue -less* child -like*
relent
young -ling* move -ment* kind -ness*
contradict -ory* grand(i) -ose humour -ous*
heaven -ward* clock -wise* nerd -y *
* change in word class
3. With the following roots create an overview of possible derivations as for grace.
check a good dictionary!
- act
action, actionable,
actor, actress
acting
active, activist, activism, activate
actual, actually, actuality, actualise,
react (ive, ion, etc), reactionary, overreaction
proactive, inactive, overactive, hyperactive,
adjectives with -ly
etc.
- harmony
harmonious, harmonium
disharmony, disharmonious,
harmonise
harmonic, disharmonic, enharmonic, harmonica
- communicate
communication, miscommunication, meta-communication, non-communication
communicative, uncommunicative
communicational
communicable
communicator, non-communicator
communicant
communion
4. With structure trees like the one fig. 5-3 show the sequence of affixation for
- unhappiness
- uncommunicative
- reformulated
- underperformance
- non-conformity
adj adj
noun adj verb
adj.
verb verb
prefix adj suffix prefix noun suffix suffix prefix noun suffix suffix
un happ(y)i ness un commun(e)i cat ive re form ulate d
noun noun
noun
verb
prefix verb suffix prefix verb suffix
under perform ance non- conform ity
5. What are the following bound morphemes?If a bound morpheme results in a change in
word class, say from which to which word class the change takes place.
bound type of affix change of if yes, original resulting word
morpheme word class? word class class
-able suffix yes no verb adjective
-s inflectional suffix yes no
huckle- cranberry yes no
berry morpheme
-‘ve clitic yes no
-‘s clitic yes no
over- prefix yes no
-ies inflectional suffix yes no
(allomorph)
-iousness 2 suffixes: yes no noun adjective
-(i)ous ambition ambitious
-ness adj. noun
Compounding
1. Find examples for the following types of compounds.
N+N adj+V N+V Prep+Prep
snowman whitewash sidestep without
dining-room blacklist manhandle into
train station short-change window shop(ing) onto
2. What type of compound are these (5.4.4.2)? Determine the word-class and the heads, if
they have one.
compound meaning type of compound head word-class
breakfast first meal of endocentric fast noun/verb
the day
criminal justice legal system endocentric justice noun
dealing with
crime
crowd-pleaser person, endocentric pleaser noun
performance
or product that
pleases the
public
father-in-law father of a endocentric but father noun
spouse left-headed
flagship most exocentric (ship) but it noun
important isn’t a naval
element in a vessel
group or line
of products
manhandle move by using endocentric handle verb
force
man-o-war warship exocentric ? noun
newspaper daily news in endocentric paper noun
paper format
page turner very exciting exocentric (turner) noun
book to read
pickpocket person exocentric ? noun
stealing from
passers-by
poorhouse house for the endocentric house noun
poor
scarecrow construction in exocentric ? noun
human shape
meant to scare
away birds
short-change to give too endocentric change verb
little back
Word Formation
1. Determine which word formation process is at work in the following examples.
lexeme meaning word formation process
backformation formation of a word by manipulation of compounding of back and
perceived affixes formation
bagonize worry about one’s luggage at an airport blend of bag and agonize
bartend to serve in a bar backformation of bartender
DHL company offering a courier service alphabetism
enthuse to be very enthusiastic about something backformation from
enthusiastic
EU European Union alphabetism
exam test to determine if course work has been clipping from examination
learnt
hanky-panky unsavoury or dishonest behaviour, often reduplication
of a sexual nature
harmful to cause or create harm suffixation of harm + ful
infotainment information presented in an entertaining blend of information and
format entertainment
nitty-gritty the basic facts, intricate (slightly reduplication
lexeme meaning word formation process
unpleasant) details
pampers a type of nappies/diapers conversion of to pamper
could be a coinage
PDF document format alphabetism
pop (music) popular commercially viable music clipping
orientated focused on, directed towards backformation from
orientation
restructure to arrange differently, to reorganise, Affixation prefixation
usually a company or institution
sitcom amusing television series clippings of situation and
comedy
snafu chaotic, but unfortunately not infrequent acronym
situation “situation normal all fucked
up”
to DHL to send something by courier conversion
to PDF to convert a document into this format conversion
