Definition:
A word from which other words grow, usually through the addition of prefixes and suffixes. See also:
Etymology:
From the Old English, "root"Examples and Observations:
- "Complex words typically consist of a root morpheme and one or more affixes. The root constitutes the core of the word and carries the major component of its meaning. Roots typically belong to a lexical category, such as noun, verb, adjective, or preposition. . . . Unlike roots, affixes do not belong to a lexical category and are always bound morphemes. For example, the affix -er is a bound morpheme that combines with a verb such as teach, giving a noun with the meaning 'one who teaches.'"
(William O'Grady, et al., Contemporary Linguistics: An Introduction, 4th ed., Bedford/St. Martin's, 2001) - "A root gives a word its basic or etymological meaning. It may be a word in itself or a word part. View, meaning 'sight' or 'to look at,' is a root word. It is a root that is also a word part in Latin. It is found in Anglicized Latin borrowings as in the words portable, porter, and import.
"Affixes are added before or after words or word parts to modify the meaning of a root. Re- is added before view to make the word review, meaning 'to look at again.' The affix -er can be added to view, to make a word meaning 'a person who looks at,' or to review, to make a word meaning 'a person who looks at again.'"
(The World Book Dictionary, 2003)
Pronunciation: ROOT
Also Known As: base, stem
