Morphemes
* Definition: The smallest meaningful unit of a language. They are the building blocks of words.
* Examples:
* "Un-": A prefix meaning "not" (e.g., "unhappy").
* "-ing": A suffix indicating present participle (e.g., "walking").
* "cat": A free morpheme (can stand alone as a word).
* "re-": A prefix meaning "again" (e.g., "redo").
* Types:
* Free morphemes: Can stand alone as words (e.g., "cat," "run").
* Bound morphemes: Cannot stand alone and must be attached to other morphemes (e.g., "un-", "-ing").
Lexemes
* Definition: A unit of vocabulary that represents a distinct concept or meaning.
* Examples:
* "Cat": Represents the concept of a feline animal.
* "Run": Represents the concept of moving swiftly on foot.
* "Beautiful": Represents the concept of aesthetic pleasingness.
* Key Points:
* Lexemes are independent of their grammatical forms. "Run," "running," "ran" all represent the same lexeme (the concept of running), even though they have different grammatical functions.
* Lexemes can be made up of one or more morphemes. "Cat" is a single lexeme composed of a single morpheme, while "unhappy" is a single lexeme composed of two morphemes ("un-" and "-happy").
In Simple Terms
Think of morphemes as the "atoms" of language, while lexemes are the "molecules." Morphemes are the smallest pieces that carry meaning, and they combine to create lexemes.
Example:
* The word "unbreakable" has three morphemes: "un-", "break", and "-able".
* "Unbreakable" represents a single lexeme, the concept of being impossible to break.
In summary:
* Morphemes are the fundamental building blocks of words, carrying meaning within a language.
* Lexemes are the units of vocabulary that represent distinct concepts.
Let me know if you have any other questions about morphemes or lexemes!