Which term refers to a morpheme that can stand alone?

Which term refers to a morpheme that can stand alone?

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

Answer: (B)

Free morphemes are the pieces of language that can stand alone as words because they carry meaning by themselves. In contrast, bound morphemes must attach to other morphemes to convey meaning. An affix is a bound morpheme such as a prefix or a suffix that attaches to a base. An allomorph is a variant pronunciation of the same morpheme, not about its ability to stand alone. Therefore, the term for a morpheme that can stand alone is a free morpheme. For example, in the word books, the base "book" is a free morpheme, while the "-s" is a bound morpheme.

Free morphemes are the pieces of language that can stand alone as words because they carry meaning by themselves. In contrast, bound morphemes must attach to other morphemes to convey meaning. An affix is a bound morpheme such as a prefix or a suffix that attaches to a base. An allomorph is a variant pronunciation of the same morpheme, not about its ability to stand alone. Therefore, the term for a morpheme that can stand alone is a free morpheme. For example, in the word books, the base "book" is a free morpheme, while the "-s" is a bound morpheme.