What is the term for a morpheme that must be attached to a word to convey meaning?

What is the term for a morpheme that must be attached to a word to convey meaning?

• A. Bound morpheme
• B. Free morpheme
• C. Root
• D. Affix

Answer: (A)

Bound morphemes are the pieces of meaning that must attach to a word to convey something new. They can’t stand alone as words, so they attach to a base to modify its meaning or operation. For example, -ed added to walk changes it to past tense ( walked ), -s on dog makes it plural ( dogs ), and un- in unhappy flips the meaning of happy. Because they require attachment to a base, these are bound morphemes. In contrast, a free morpheme can stand alone as a word, like book or dog. A root is the main base form that carries core meaning and often serves as the base for adding affixes. An affix is a broad label for any bound morpheme that attaches to a root (including prefixes and suffixes). The situation described in the question points to bound morpheme as the precise term.

Bound morphemes are the pieces of meaning that must attach to a word to convey something new. They can’t stand alone as words, so they attach to a base to modify its meaning or operation. For example, -ed added to walk changes it to past tense ( walked ), -s on dog makes it plural ( dogs ), and un- in unhappy flips the meaning of happy. Because they require attachment to a base, these are bound morphemes.

In contrast, a free morpheme can stand alone as a word, like book or dog. A root is the main base form that carries core meaning and often serves as the base for adding affixes. An affix is a broad label for any bound morpheme that attaches to a root (including prefixes and suffixes). The situation described in the question points to bound morpheme as the precise term.