Define morphology and give an example of a prefix changing meaning (un- + happy = unhappy).

Define morphology and give an example of a prefix changing meaning (un- + happy = unhappy).

• A. Morphology is the study of sentence structure.
• B. Morphology studies punctuation usage.
• C. Morphology studies word formation; prefixes/suffixes modify meaning or part of speech.
• D. Morphology studies language families.

Answer: (C)

Morphology is the study of word formation—how base words combine with prefixes and suffixes to create new meanings or different parts of speech. The example un- + happy = unhappy shows this clearly: adding the prefix un- changes the meaning by negating it, producing a new word with its own sense. While this example keeps both forms as adjectives, prefixes can sometimes shift a word into a different part of speech in other cases. By focusing on how affixes modify meaning and form, this definition directly captures what morphology examines. In contrast, the other topics described would belong to syntax (sentence structure), punctuation conventions, or historical language relationships, not word formation.

Morphology is the study of word formation—how base words combine with prefixes and suffixes to create new meanings or different parts of speech. The example un- + happy = unhappy shows this clearly: adding the prefix un- changes the meaning by negating it, producing a new word with its own sense. While this example keeps both forms as adjectives, prefixes can sometimes shift a word into a different part of speech in other cases. By focusing on how affixes modify meaning and form, this definition directly captures what morphology examines. In contrast, the other topics described would belong to syntax (sentence structure), punctuation conventions, or historical language relationships, not word formation.