2. Definition of Affix
ο An affix is a bound morpheme that is joined before,
after, or within a root or stem.
ο Bound morpheme is a morpheme (or word element)
that cannot stand alone as a word. Contrast with free
morpheme.
ο Free morpheme is a morpheme (or word element)
that can stand alone as a word. Contrast with bound
morpheme.
ο There are two kinds of free morphemes: content
words and function words.
ο Root is a word or word element (that is, a morpheme)
from which other words grow, usually through the
addition of prefixes and suffixes.
3. Affix Relationship to root or Example
stem
prefix Occurs in the front of a unhappy
root or stem
suffix Occurs at the end of a happiness
root or stem
infix Occurs inside of a root or Gerigi
stem (Indonesian)
5. Inflectional Affix
ο Inflectional affix is an affix that expresses a
grammatical contrast that is obligatory for its stem's
word class in some given grammatical context and
does not change the word class of its stem.
ο There are only eight "inflectional affixes" in English
6. ο -s noun plural (books, tables)
ο -'s noun possessive (Miraβs bag)
ο -s verb present tense third person singular (She
dances)
ο -ing verb present participle/gerund (She is working)
ο -ed verb simple past tense (I walked)
ο -en verb past perfect participle (been)
ο -er adjective comparative (bigger)
ο -est adjective superlative (the biggest)
7. ο A derivational affix is an affix by means of which
one word is formed (derived) from another. The
derived word is often of a different word class from
the original.
ο A derivational affix is not part of an obligatory set of
affixes.
ο It changes the meaning of the base in some
important way or changes it into a different word
class.
8. example
ο Unhealthy
ο Gardener
The addition of the prefix un- to healthy alters the
meaning of healthy. The resulting word
means "not healthy."
The addition of the suffix -er to garden changes
the meaning of garden, which is a place where
plants, flowers, etc., grow,
to a word that refers to 'a person who tends a garden.