Word Base
* Definition: The fundamental part of a word to which affixes (prefixes and suffixes) are added. It's the core meaning of the word.
* Example: In the word "unbreakable," the word base is "break."
* Characteristics:
* It can stand alone as a word.
* It carries the core meaning of the word.
* It can be modified by prefixes and suffixes.
Stem
* Definition: The part of a word that remains after all inflectional affixes (affixes that change the grammatical function of a word) are removed.
* Example: In the word "walking," the stem is "walk" (after removing the inflectional suffix "-ing").
* Characteristics:
* It may not stand alone as a word.
* It represents the root meaning of the word but may include derivational affixes (affixes that change the word's meaning or category).
* It can be modified by inflectional affixes.
Key Differences:
* Inflection: The stem is the part of the word that remains after inflectional changes, while the word base can include both inflectional and derivational affixes.
* Standalone: The word base can often stand alone as a word, while the stem may not.
* Derivational Affixes: The stem can include derivational affixes, while the word base usually doesn't.
Example:
Consider the word "unbreakableness":
* Word base: "break" (the core meaning of the word)
* Stem: "breakabl" (after removing the inflectional suffix "-ness")
In this example, the word base is "break," while the stem is "breakabl" which includes the derivational suffix "-able."
In summary:
* The word base is the core meaning of a word and can stand alone.
* The stem is the base form of a word after removing inflectional affixes, and it may include derivational affixes.
While the terms are often used interchangeably, understanding the distinction between word base and stem helps clarify the structure and meaning of words in morphology.