Phonetics And Word Formation Questions Long
In linguistics, affixes are morphemes that are attached to a base or root word to create a new word or modify the meaning of the base word. There are several types of affixes, including prefixes, suffixes, infixes, circumfixes, and interfixes.
1. Prefixes: These are affixes that are added to the beginning of a base word. They can change the meaning or grammatical category of the word. For example, the prefix "un-" in "unhappy" changes the meaning of the word from happy to not happy.
2. Suffixes: These are affixes that are added to the end of a base word. They can also change the meaning or grammatical category of the word. For example, the suffix "-er" in "teacher" changes the base word "teach" into a noun referring to a person who teaches.
3. Infixes: These are affixes that are inserted within a base word. Infixes are relatively rare in English but are more common in other languages. For example, in Tagalog, the infix "-um-" is inserted in the base word "ganda" (beauty) to form "gumanda" (became beautiful).
4. Circumfixes: These are affixes that consist of two parts, one attached to the beginning of a base word and the other attached to the end. The base word is sandwiched between the two parts. Circumfixes are also relatively rare in English but are found in some other languages. For example, in German, the circumfix "ge-...-t" is added to the base word "sprechen" (speak) to form "gesprochen" (spoken).
5. Interfixes: These are affixes that are inserted between two morphemes within a compound word. They are not as common as other types of affixes. For example, in the compound word "blackbird," the interfix "-k-" is inserted between "black" and "bird."
It is important to note that not all languages have all types of affixes, and the presence and usage of affixes can vary across languages. Additionally, the function and meaning of affixes can also vary depending on the context and the specific language being analyzed.