Here's a breakdown:
* Morpheme: The smallest unit of meaning in a language. It can be a word (e.g., "cat") or a part of a word (e.g., the "-s" in "cats").
* Allomorph: Different forms of a morpheme that represent the same meaning.
Examples:
* The plural morpheme: In English, the plural morpheme can be represented by several allomorphs:
* "-s" (cats, dogs)
* "-es" (boxes, churches)
* "-en" (children, oxen)
* "Ø" (sheep, deer) - the zero allomorph, where no additional sound is added.
* The past tense morpheme:
* "-ed" (walked, played)
* "-t" (slept, dreamt)
* "Ø" (put, hit) - the zero allomorph.
Key points:
* Allomorphs are often determined by the sound preceding them (e.g., "-s" vs. "-es" after a sibilant sound).
* Allomorphs are variations of a morpheme, not independent morphemes themselves. They convey the same meaning.
Think of it this way:
Imagine you have a coin with different sides. Each side represents a different form of the same coin (the morpheme). The coin itself represents the meaning.
Allomorphs help us understand the complexities of language, how sound changes affect meaning, and the subtle ways morphemes are expressed in different contexts.