PREFACE

Praise to Allah S.W.T, the Almighty God, who has blessed the writer so she could
accomplish this paper. She believes that without His blessing she cannot do anything.

The writer would like to express her deep appreciation to her lecturer, Drs. Suwono
PhD for his guidance and his suggestion to finish this paper.

Furthermore, the writer also would like to say thank you to her beloved parents and
her friends for their constant prayer, encouragement and finance during the completion of her
study.

This paper was talking about Comparative Study between Derivational Morphemes
and Inflectional Morphemes.

The writer recognizes that this paper is far from perfection, so good critics to the
writer are accepted.

Surabaya, January 2010

 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

I. Background of Study

In many languages, everything which appears to be single forms actually turn out to
contain a large number of word elements. This form, however, are different on each
language. As Yule's example (2006) in Swahili, the form nitakupenda conveys, in English,
would have to be represented as something like “i love you”. It, however, would seem that
this Swahili word is rather different from “word“ in English. Still in Yule, the investigation
of basic forms in language generally known as morphology. But this term was originally
used in biology. It began to use to describe the type of investigation all basic “element”
used in a language since the middle of the 19th century (Yule, 2006). “Element” that has
described in the form of a linguistic message are known as morphemes.

The definition of a morpheme is “a minimal unit of meaning or grammatical

function”. For example, the word “tourist” contains three (3) morphemes. There are one
minimal unit of meaning tour, another minimal unit of meaning -ist, and a minimal unit of
grammatical function -s. From that, morpheme can be distinct between two types, free
morphemes and bound morphemes.

Free morphemes are morphemes that can stand by themselves as single words. It
sometimes called “steam” or “base”. For instance, open, book, tour, look, dress, etc. the
free morpheme in English can generally be identified as the set of separate word from such
as basic nouns, adjectives, verbs, etc. when they are used with bound morpheme attached
the basic-forms words, they are technically known as stem.

There are also Morpheme that must always occur with a base, for example the
“plural” morpheme in books cannot occur alone as s except in a sentence like The ‘s’ in
“books” expresses plurality. Such morphemes are called bound morpheme. Other example
of bound morpheme are the “present tenses” morpheme in walk(s), run(s), the “negative”
morpheme in (un)happy, (in)attentive and the “quality” morpheme in happi(ness) and
sinceri(ly)
 Bound morpheme can be classified according to the way they combine with base or
steam as affixes. The affixes are subdivided into prefixes, suffixes and infixes. Prefixes
occur before the base for example (un)tidy, (pre)school, (dis)like. Suffixes occur after the
base, for example kind(ness), angry(ly), judge(ment), teach(er). Infixes occur in the middle
of the base. English, however, has no infixes.

Bound morpheme or affixes may also be classified as derivational or inflectional

morpheme according to the effect they produce in the base. In the 19th century, the word
“morphology” started used in linguistics including inflectional and derivational (these
word are found by Goethe and primarily used in biology for learning about part of living
organism. The linguists much influenced by biological evolution since in the middle of
19th centuries). A part of derivational had entered in western old grammar because the
comparative Philologist very influenced by Sansekerta’s books and started to study about
word construction. Moreover, they recognize that there were many similarities between
inflectional and derivational morphemes.

Thus, this paper is talking about the comparative study between derivational
morphemes and inflectional morphemes.
 CHAPTER II

DISCUSSION

I.Definition

I.1 Derivational Morphemes

Derivational morphemes are bound morphemes which generally combine with the
base to change its 'parts of speech”'. For example, teach is a verb, but if this word was
added by the derivational morpheme “-er”, it becomes noun, teacher.

In linguistics, derivation is a process of creating new word to make word of the

different grammatical category from the stem. Derivation usually applies a word of one
syntactic category and changes them into words of another syntactic category.

Derivational morphemes have clear semantic content. They will be like word
except they are both words. When a derivational morpheme is added to a root or stem, it
adds meaning. The derive word may also be different grammatical class than the original
word.

Morphemes as the minimal linguistic signs in all languages have affixes, but
English only has prefixes and suffixes, but do not have infixes. For example, the
derivational prefix un- applies to adjectives healthy to become unhealthy, although it also
occasionally applies to nouns and verbs. In many cases, derivational affixes change both
the syntactic category and the meaning as in modern + -ize – modernize (to make
modern).

• Derivational Prefixes

1. Noun Prefixes

a. {ante-} meaning ‘before’

Examples: antechapel, anteroom

b. {anti-} meaning ’against’

Examples: antichrist, antipope, antiDarwinism

c. {auto-} meaning ‘self’

 Examples: autobiography, autosuggestion

d. {co-} meaning ‘ together’

Examples: co-education, co-heir

e. {counter-}meaning ‘against’

Examples: counter-attack, counter-revolution

f. {dis-} meaning ‘negative’

Examples: dishonor, distrust

g. {ex-} meaning ‘ former’

Examples: ex-chancellor, ex-wife

h. {inter-} meaning ’among, between’

Examples: intermarriage, internation

i. {mis-} meaning ‘bad’

Examples: misconduct, misdemeanor

j. {non-} meaning ‘negative’

Examples: non-payment, non-aggression

k. {post-} meaning ‘ante, pre’

Examples: post-war, post-reformation

l. {pro-} meaning ‘supporting’

Examples: pro-German, pro-Boer

m. {re-} meaning ’again’

Examples: re-birth, re-incarnation

n. {semi-} meaning ’half’

Examples: semicircle, semivowel

 o. {sub-} meaning ‘under’

Examples: subway, sub-editor

p. {super-} meaning ‘above’

Examples: superstructure, superman

q. {trans-} meaning ‘across’

Examples: transformation, transmigration

2. Verb Prefixes

a. {be-} meaning ‘somewhat intensive’

Examples: bemoan, bemock, besmear

b. {co-} meaning ‘together’

Examples: co-operate, co-exist

c. {de-} meaning ‘to undo’

Examples: to decode, to detain

d. {dis-} meaning ‘negative’

Examples: to disagree, to disbelieve

e. {en-} meaning ‘to put into’

Examples: to enslave, to embitter

f. {mal-} meaning ‘badly’

Examples: to maltreat, to malpractice

g. {mis-} meaning ‘wrongly’

Examples: to mismanage, to misread

h. {re-} meaning ‘again’

 Examples: to rebuilt, to reconsider

i. {trans-} meaning ‘across’

Examples: to transplant, to transship

j. {un-} meaning ‘negative’

Examples: to undress, to unearth

3. Adjective prefixes

a. {a-} meaning ‘denoting a state’

Examples: adrift, asleep, awash

b. {bi-} meaning ‘having two …’

Examples: bisexual, bilingual

c. {dis-} meaning ‘negative’

Examples: disobedient, disreputable

d. {extra-} meaning ‘outside’

Examples: extra-tropical, extraordinary

e. {hyper-} meaning ‘excessively’

Examples: hyper-critical, hyper-sensitive

f. {semi-} meaning ‘half’

Examples: semi-official, semi-centennial

g. {ultra-} meaning ‘beyond’

Examples: ultra-conservative, ultra-fashionable

h. {un-} meaning ‘negative’

Examples: unhappy, unkind

• Derivational Suffixes

1. Noun Suffixes

a. {-ee} denoting ‘the person affected by the action’

Examples: addressee, employee

b. {-eer} denoting ‘the person concerned with’

Examples: auctioneer, mountaineer

c. [-er] forming ‘an agent noun’

Examples: baker, hunter

d. {-ess} denoting ‘a female person’

Examples: hostess, stewardess

e. {-ist} denoting ‘a player/writer’

Examples: pianist, novelist

f. {-ette} forming ‘a diminutive thing’

Examples: kitchenette, leaderrette

g. [-let] meaning ‘diminutive’

Examples: booklet, leaflet

h. {-ling} meaning ‘young’

Examples: duckling, seedling

i. [-age] expressing ‘ collectively’

Examples: peerage, cellarage

j. {-ation} forming ‘a noun of action’

Examples: operation, stagnation

k. {-cy} forming ‘an abstract noun’

Examples: accuracy, constancy

l. [-dom] forming ‘a noun expressing condition’

Examples: dukedom, freedom

m. [-ful] expressing ‘a collective noun’

Examples: handful, spoonful

n. {-hood} expressing ‘a family relation’

Examples: otherhood, childhood

o. {-ing} forming ‘a gerund’

Examples: shipping, bedding

p. {-ism} expressing ‘ typical conduct’

Examples: despotism, patriotism

q. {-ity} forming nouns from adjective

Examples: identity, visibility

r. {-ment} forming nouns expressing ‘ action’

Examples: argument, treatment

s. {-ness} expressing ‘state’

Examples: goodness, kindness

t. {-ry} expressing ‘condition’

Examples: rivalry, slavery

u. {-ship} expressing ‘state’

Examples: friendship, membership

2. Adjective Suffixes

a. {-able} meaning ‘that can be –ed’

Examples: eatable, reliable

b. {-al} meaning ‘of the nature of’

Examples: brutal, cultural

c. {-an} changing geographical names into adjectives

Examples: Indonesian, Asian

d. {-ed} meaning ‘having’

Examples: cultured, landed

e. {-en} meaning ‘trembling’

Examples: golden, wooden

f. {-ern} being added to the names of the points of the compass

Examples: eastern, western

g. {-ese} forming adjectives from some names of foreign countries and town

Examples: Japanese, Balinese

h. {-esque} being added to names of artists to express ’after the manner of’
Examples: Dantesque, Rembrandtesque

i. {-fold} having ‘the sense of multiplied’

Examples: twofold, tenfold

j. {-ful} expressing ‘the condition’

Examples: forgetful, hopeful

k. {-ian} expressing ‘belonging to the period of’

 Examples: Shakespearian, Bloomfieldian

l. {-ic} forming adjectives from nouns

Examples: economic, historic

m. {-ical} forming adjectives from verbs

Examples: classical, political

n. {-ing} forming adjectives from verbs

Examples: amusing, interesting

o. {-ish} denoting ‘nationalities’

Examples: Danish, Jewish

p. {-less} meaning ‘without’

Examples: faithless, merciless

q. {-like} forming adjectives from nouns

Examples: Godlike, ladylike

r. {-ly} meaning ‘having qualities of’

Examples: cowardly, manly

s. {-ous} changing adjectives from nouns

Examples: dangerous, nervous

t. {-some} having the sense f ‘productive of’

Examples: burdensome, fearsome

u. {-th} added to cardinal numerals to form the corresponding ordinals

Examples: fourth, ninth

v. {-ward} expressing ‘direction’

Examples: backward, eastward

 w. {-y} meaning ‘full of, composed of’

Examples: bony, fishy

3. Verb Suffixes

a. {-en} forming verbs from adjectives

Examples: to darken, to deepen

b. {-fy} meaning ‘to make’

Examples: to certify, to signify

c. {-ize} forming verbs from proper names

Examples: Americanize, Macadamize

4. Adverb Suffixes

a. {-ly} forming adverbs of manner

Examples: greatly, decidedly

b. {-wise} or {-ways} forming adverbs from nouns

Examples: lengthways, lengthwise, sideways, sidewise

I.2. Inflectional Morphemes

Inflectional morphemes are bound morphemes which have a strictly grammatical

function. These are not used to produce new words in language, but rather to indicate
aspects of the grammatical function of words, such as gender, tenses, numbers, persons,
comparative or possessive forms. The concept of “a word” independent of the different
inflections is called a lexeme, and the form of a word that is considered to have no or
minimal inflection is called a lemma. An organized list of the inflected forms of a given
lexeme is called an inflectional paradigm.

In English, the number of inflectional morphemes is small but they combine with
many bases. For example, if the nouns bag, tin, church are added by the “plural”
morphemes, they remain nouns bags, tins, churches. If those words are added the “past
tense” morpheme to verbs walk, drown, rinse, they are still verbs walked, drowned, rinsed.

In some languages, inflected words do not appear in a fundamental form (the root
morpheme) except in dictionaries and grammars. English has only eight (8) inflectional
morphemes. They are:

1. {-es1} Plural Morphemes

The allomorph of the plural morpheme:

a. Phonologically conditioned allomorph

1) /-s/ :many books, maps

2) /-z/ : two boys, pens

3) /-iz/ :five boxes, buses

b. Morphologically conditioned allomorphs

1) /- / : many sheep, fish

2) /-en/ :many oxen

3) /-vowel changed-/ :two feet, teeth

2. {-es2} the Possessive Morpheme

The allomorphs of that morpheme:

a. Phonologically conditioned allomorphs

1) /-s/ : Jack’s house

2) /-z/ : Bill’s house

 3) /-iz/ : Joyce’s house

b. Morphological conditioned allomorph

1) /- / : students’ books

3. {-es3} the Third Person Singular Present Tense Morpheme

Its allomorphs are all phonologically conditioned

1) /-s/ : Jane cooks well

2) /-z/ : Jane sings well

3) /-iz/ : Jane teaches well

4. {-D1} the Past Tense Morpheme

The allomorph of that morpheme:

a. Phonologically conditioned allomorphs

1) /-t/ : She talked

2) /-d/ : She called

3) /-id/ : She invited us

b. Morphologically conditioned allomorphs

1) /- / : She cut herself

2) /-consonant changed-/ : She spent it

3) /-vowel changed-/ : I broke it

4) /compl. Changed/ : I went home

5. {-D2} the Past Participle Morpheme

The allomorph of that morpheme:

 a. Phonologically conditioned allomorphs

1) /-t/ : She has worked

2) /-d/ : She has planned it

3) /-id/ : She has invited

b. Morphologically conditioned allomorphs

1) /- / : He has hurt her

2) /-consonant changed-/ : He has rent it

6. {-ing1} the Present Participle Morpheme

Example: He is speaking now

7. {-er} the Comparative Degree Morpheme

Examples: 1) This table is lower than that

2) His house is bigger than mine

8. {-est} the Superlative Degree Morpheme

Examples: 1) John is the cleverest student in my school

2) She is the prettiest

III. Comparative Study between Derivational and Inflectional Morphemes

Inflectional is the process of adding inflectional morphemes (atomic meaning

units) to a word, which may indicate grammatical information (for example, case, number,
person, gender, or word class, mood, tense, or aspect). While derivational morphemes
create a new word from an existing word, sometimes by simply changing grammatical
category (for example changing a noun to a verb).
 Word generally do not appear in dictionaries with the inflectional morphemes.
They often appear with derivational morphemes, for instance English dictionaries list
readable and readability, words with derivational suffixes, along with their root read.
However, there is no English dictionaries will list book as one entry and books as a
separate entry nor will they list jump and jumped as two different entries.

Derivational morphemes are not the opposite of inflectional morphemes. The

derivational morphemes are affixes that are not inflectional. While inflectional morphemes
signal grammatical relations and they need the rule of sentence formation.

Both derivational and inflectional affixes may be used to define word classes. For
example bases that can combine with -er and -ed (to express comparison) or with -ness are
adjectives, such as tall – taller/tallness, kind – kindest/kindness, happy –
happier/happiness, and bases that occur with past tenses affixes are verbs, such as walk –
walked, jump – jumped, cook – cooked, and dance – danced.

English derivational affixes may be final in the morpheme groups to which they
belong or may be prefixes. For example dislike, behead, unknown, judgment, sweetly,
creator. English inflectional suffixes are always final in the morpheme groups to which
they belong (tend to be suffixes). For examples walked, glasses, talking.

Derivational suffixes may change the parts of speech of the stem, for example slow
(adjective) – slowly (adverb), happy (adjective) – happiness (noun). While inflectional
suffixes change the parts of speech of the stem, for example glass (noun) + {-es1} –
glasses (noun), walk (verb) + {ed1} – walked (verb).

Whenever there is a derivational suffix and inflectional suffix attached to the same
word, they always appear in that order. First, the derivational (-er) is attached to a word
teach, then the inflectional (-s) is added to produce teachers.
 CHAPTER IV

CONCLUSION

1. Derivational morphemes are bound morphemes which generally combine with the
base to change its part of speech. For example the word teach if this word is added by
the derivational morpheme {-er}, it becomes teacher.

2. Inflectional morphemes are bound morphemes which carry grammatical meaning. An

inflectional morpheme never changes the grammatical category of a word. For
example if a word bag adds by the “plural” morpheme, they remain to a noun bags.

3. Inflectional indicates grammatical information, derivation is changing grammatical

category.

4. English derivational affixes may be final in the morpheme groups to which they
belong or may be prefixes. While English inflectional suffixes are always final in the
morpheme groups to which they belong
 REFERENCES

Alwasilah, Chaedar A. Linguistik suatu pengantar. Bandung: Angkasa

Fromklin, Victoria, Robert Rodman and Nina Hyams.2003. An Intoruction tpo language, 7th
edition. Boston: Thomson Hinle
Lim Kiat Boey. 1975. an Introduction to Linguistics for the Language Teacher. Singapore:
Singapore University Press
Lyons, John. 1995. Introduction to Theoretical Linguistics. Jakarta: PT. Gramedia Pustaka
Utama
Soekemi, Prof. DR. M.A. 1995. Linguistics: a Work Book. Surabaya: UNESA

Yule, George. 2006. The Study of Language (third edition). New York: Cambridge
University Press
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Derivation-(linguistics)

http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Inflection
The Comparative Study between Derivational
Morpheme and Inflectional Morpheme

By:
Lydia Rahmawati
072084061

SURABAYA STATE UNIVERSITY

ART AND LANGUAGE FACULTY
ENGLISH DEPARMENT
2010
 Table of Content

Preface …..............................................................................................i

Table of Content …..............................................................................ii

Chapter I INTRODUCTION

1. Background of the Study

…............................................................

CHAPTER II DISCUSSION

1. Derivational Morpheme
….............................................................

2. Inflectional Morpheme
…...............................................................

3. Comparative Study between Derivational Morphemes and

Inflectional Morphemes ….............................................................

CHAPTER III CONCLUSION …......................................................

REFERENCES …..............................................................................