ALLOMORPH Meaning and
Definition
-
Allomorph is a term used in linguistics to refer to different phonological forms of a morpheme that can be adopted in different linguistic contexts without changing its meaning. In simple terms, it refers to the various alternate versions of a morpheme that can be used depending on the phonetic or grammatical environment in which it occurs.
An allomorph can occur due to phonological processes such as assimilation, deletion, or insertion of sounds. For example, the past tense morpheme "-ed" in English can be realized as three different allomorphs: [t], [d], or [ɪd], as in "walked," "played," or "needed." The choice of the allomorph is determined by the phonetic context, where the final sound of the verb stem influences which allomorph is used.
Furthermore, allomorphy can also arise as a result of morphological processes. For instance, in the English indefinite article "a/an," the form "an" is used before words that begin with a vowel sound, while "a" is used before words that begin with a consonant sound. Here, the choice between "a" and "an" is an example of morphological allomorphy.
In summary, an allomorph is a variant form of a morpheme that can occur depending on the context or environment in which the morpheme is being used, be it phonetic or grammatical. The different allomorphs retain the same core meaning but may have distinct phonetic realizations due to varying phonological or morphological factors.
Common Misspellings for ALLOMORPH
Etymology of ALLOMORPH
The word "allomorph" is a combination of two Greek roots: "allo-" and "-morph".
The prefix "allo-" in Greek means "other" or "different". It is derived from the Greek word "allos", meaning "other" or "another".
The suffix "-morph" in Greek means "shape" or "form". It is derived from the Greek word "morphy", meaning "form" or "shape".
Therefore, when these two roots are combined, "allomorph" can be understood as "a different form" or "another shape". In linguistics, an allomorph refers to any of the different phonological realizations of a morpheme.
Similar spelling words for ALLOMORPH
Infographic
Add the infographic to your website:
