1. Morpheme:
* Definition: The smallest meaningful unit in a language.
* Example: The word "unbreakable" has three morphemes: "un-", "break", and "-able".
2. Lexeme:
* Definition: A word or a set of words that are considered a single unit of vocabulary. It encompasses all the inflected forms of a word.
* Example: The lexeme "run" includes the words "run", "runs", "running", and "ran".
3. Lemma:
* Definition: A representative form of a lexeme. It's usually the dictionary form of a word, often the base form.
* Example: The lemma for the lexeme "run" is "run".
Key Differences:
* Level of analysis: Morphemes are the most basic units, lexemes are collections of morphemes, and lemmas are abstractions from lexemes.
* Focus: Morphemes focus on meaning, lexemes on vocabulary, and lemmas on representation.
Relationship:
* A lexeme can consist of one or more morphemes.
* A lemma is chosen from a lexeme.
In simple terms:
* Think of a morpheme as a building block (like a brick).
* Think of a lexeme as a complete structure made of those blocks (like a house).
* Think of a lemma as a blueprint or a label for that structure.
Let me know if you want to delve deeper into any of these concepts!