1. Morphological Analysis:
* Prefixes and Suffixes: Examining the parts added to the beginning (prefix) or end (suffix) of a word to understand its meaning. For example, "un-", "pre-", "-ing", "-able".
* Root Words: Identifying the core base of a word that conveys its fundamental meaning. For instance, "port" in "transport", "export", and "import".
* Inflections: Recognizing changes in word form that indicate grammatical function (e.g., "walk", "walking", "walked").
2. Etymological Analysis:
* Word Origins: Tracing the history of a word to its original language and meaning. Knowing a word's origins can shed light on its nuances.
3. Contextual Analysis:
* Surrounding Text: Analyzing the words and phrases around a target word to infer its meaning based on its usage.
* Synonyms and Antonyms: Identifying words with similar or opposite meanings to the target word.
4. Semantic Networks:
* Associations: Building a network of related concepts around a word, connecting it to other words with shared meanings.
5. Dictionaries and Thesaurus:
* Definition Lookups: Consulting dictionaries to obtain a formal definition of a word.
* Synonym Exploration: Using a thesaurus to find alternative words with similar meanings.
Example:
Let's analyze the word "unbreakable":
* Morphological Analysis:
* Prefix: "un-" (meaning "not")
* Root Word: "break"
* Suffix: "-able" (meaning "capable of being")
* Etymology: "Unbreakable" likely originated from combining "un-" and "breakable", emphasizing the inability to break.
* Contextual Analysis: We might see "unbreakable" used to describe a strong object or a resilient person.
It's important to note that not all words lend themselves easily to these methods, and sometimes a combination of techniques is necessary for a complete understanding.