DERIVATIONAL MORPHOLOGY

SEMINAR 1
Theory
I.

1. State the definition of the sign in Saussurian terms

2.Saussure characterized the sign as being arbitrary and having relative
value. Comment on this.
3. Give the definition of sign after Hjelmslev
4. Define the notion of simple and complex linguistic signs, constituent
sign.
5. Are morpheme and sign notions of the same sort?
6. Give the definition of morpheme, constituent morpheme.
7. Mention the basic properties of inflectional and derivational
morphemes.
8. Define the notions of morph, allomorph, phonological conditioning,
lexical/morphological conditioning, suppletion
9, State the working criteria by which morphs are grouped together into
classes of invariant morphemes

Practice:
(a)
A
Blackberry
Blueberry
Gooseberry
Blackbird
Butterfly
Withstand
Understand
Undergo
Undertake

In view of the above distinctions discuss the words below:

B
misguide
misinform
misplace
mislead
misdate
misjudge

C
mistake
mischief
mistress

D
discolour
disclaim
dismantle
disable
disagree

disciple
discreet
discuss
disperse

E
Retake
Repay
Rearrange

receive
refer
resume

recover
refuse
remove

(b)
-Identify the suffixes in the underlined words. To what word-class
(lexical category) do the words to which the suffixes are added belong, and what
word-class results?
-Decide whether the suffixes are inflectional or derivational. Justify
your decision.
I ducked
Two ducks
He is humourless

He was sheepish
three ducklings
You are ducking the issue

He ducks

(c) state the lexical category of the base to which en- is attached
-what is the lexical category of the new word?
- what is the meaning (or meanings) of en- in these words
-Is there reason to consider the affix as a homophonous morpheme?
Base
cage
large
robe
danger

New Word
en-cage
en-large
en-robe
en-danger

Base
noble
rich
rage
able

New word
en-noble
en-rich
en-rage
en-able

d) What is the allomorph of the plural morpheme that occurs in the group
of words below? Is the choice phonologically, morphologically or
lexically conditioned?
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
e)

addenda, data, strata, media, desiderata

stimuli, radii, fungi, alumni
asses, fishes, badges, leeks, moths, cups, bards, mugs, rooms,
keys, shoes
Argue that the underlined morphemic segments below belong to an
invariant morpheme:

Inexpensive
Impossible
Illogical
Irrational
f)

baker
driver
survivor
beggar

argumentation
deformation
rebellion
addition

multiple affixation: identify the root morpheme and the affixes that
make up the complex words below:

diction, dictate, dictatorial, contradict, contradictory, contradiction,

contradictoriness, benediction
(g)

take the free morpheme nation and add as many prefixes and suffixes
as you can. Attempt to go through at least four rounds of affixation.

(h)
Examine carefully the following sentence:
Mr Nickleby shook his head, and motioning them all out of the room, embraced his
wife and children, and having pressed them by turns to his languidly beating heart,
sunk exhausted on his pillow. (Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby)
a) List five free and three bound morphemes that occur in the sentence
b) List three functional morphemes in the sentence