English Words

EXERCISES
1. List the meanings associated with the form -er in teach-er, Londoner, cooker, louder and chatt-er. If in
doubt, consult a good dictionary.
2. Identify the morphemes in the words below and determine which ones are free, and which ones are
bound. In some cases the choice will not be clear-cut. Explain the grounds for your decision.
beds
manly
pedestrian
bedding
mannish
pedal
bedrooms
manhood
pedestal
bedfellows
manager
pedate
unenthusiastically
managers
biped
servility
management
tripod
servant
mismanaged
millipede
server
foothold
centipede
ENGLISH WORDS 35

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servitor
footpaths
expedition
served
footlights
expedite
services
footman
impede
servicing
footsteps
impediment
3. Use the data below to explain the difference between syllables and morphemes.
Those parts of thee that the world’s eye doth view Want nothing that the thought of hearts can
mend; All tongues (the voice of souls) give thee that due, Utt’ring bare truth, even so as foes
commend.
(from Shakespeare, Sonnet 69)
4. Illustrating your answer with the italicised words below, explain the difference between lexeme and
word-form; morpheme
and allomorph:
The boy in the green jumper is a better jumper than his brother who was the school champion last
year. Each of his first two jumps so far have been higher than his brother ever jumped.
5. Study the passage below with which Henry James’s novel, The Portrait of a Lady begins and answer
the questions which follow.
Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to
the ceremony known as afternoon tea. There are circumstances in which, whether you partake of
the tea or not—some people of course never do—the situation is in itself delightful. Those that I
have in mind in beginning to unfold this simple history offered an admirable setting to an
innocent pastime. The implements of the little feast had been disposed upon the lawn of an old
English country house in what I should call the perfect middle of a splendid summer afternoon.
a. Identify the bound morphemes contained in the words in the above passage. Comment on any
words that cannot be segmented uncontroversially.
b. Identify all the portmanteau morphs and the morphemes that they represent.
c. Select a word that illustrates each of the following morphological types: isolating, agglutinating and
inflecting. Justify your selection.
d. Identify the compound words in the text. Show the wordclass to which each one of them belongs.
e. If we assumed that this passage is representative of the language, what morphological type would it
indicate that English belongs to? Is it inflecting, agglutinating or isolating?
36 CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF A MORPHEMIC KIND

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Chapter 4
Building words