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Malcolm101 Posted 13 years ago
Linguistics Studies
Morphemic Analysis of "Unsettled"
Could someone help me with my morphemic analysis of the lexeme "unsettled". The following is what I have come up with:
The word has three morphemes: one prefix (“un”), one root (“settle”) and one suffix (“ed). As to what order the morphemes attached to each other, I have analysed the morpheme in the following manner:
First, we have to look at what the adjective “unsettled” means: one of the meanings of the word is “that may change”. This meaning suggests two steps in the formation of “unsettled”: first, “that may change” is created by attaching the suffix “ed” to the base “settle”, and then, this meaning is negated by means of attaching the prefix “un” to the base “settled”.
I think, the prefix "un" in "unsettled" could not have first formed the lexeme "unsettle", for this lexeme changes the meaning of the adjective "unsettled".
Am I right in my analysis?
The word has three morphemes: one prefix (“un”), one root (“settle”) and one suffix (“ed). As to what order the morphemes attached to each other, I have analysed the morpheme in the following manner:
First, we have to look at what the adjective “unsettled” means: one of the meanings of the word is “that may change”. This meaning suggests two steps in the formation of “unsettled”: first, “that may change” is created by attaching the suffix “ed” to the base “settle”, and then, this meaning is negated by means of attaching the prefix “un” to the base “settled”.
I think, the prefix "un" in "unsettled" could not have first formed the lexeme "unsettle", for this lexeme changes the meaning of the adjective "unsettled".
Am I right in my analysis?
Top answer
I don't see how you can determine order of attachment except by historical documentation. Unsettle, settle, unsettled, and settled are all common words. I don't see root meanings changing amongst them at all: change for the worse, change for the better, changed for the worse, and changed for the better.
- I don't see how you can determine order of attachment except by historical documentation.
- Unsettle, settle, unsettled, and settled are all common words.
- I don't see root meanings changing amongst them at all: change for the worse, change for the better, changed for the worse, and changed for the better.
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1 Answers
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I don't see how you can determine order of attachment except by historical documentation.
Unsettle, settle, unsettled, and settled are all common words. I don't see root meanings changing amongst them at all: change for the worse, change for the better, changed for the worse, and changed for the better.
Unsettle, settle, unsettled, and settled are all common words. I don't see root meanings changing amongst them at all: change for the worse, change for the better, changed for the worse, and changed for the better.
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