Definition
Inflection is variation in the form of a word, typically by means of an affix, that expresses a grammatical contrast which is obligatory for the stem’s word class in some given grammatical context.
Discussion
In contrast to derivation, inflection:
- does not result in a change of word class
- usually produces a predictable, nonidiosyncratic change of meaning
Examples
(English)
- In the following English sentence, come is inflected for person and number by the suffix -s:
- The mailman comes about noon.
(Spanish)
- In the following Spanish noun phrase, las and rojas are inflected for agreement with manzanas in grammatical gender by -a and in number by -s:
- las manzanas rojas ‘the red apples’
Sources 7
- Crystal 1985, 157
- Payne, T. 1997a, 26, 233, 234
- Quirk, Greenbaum, Leech, and Svartvik 1985, 1548
- Mish 1991, 620
- Richards, Platt, and Weber 1985, 139
- Hartmann and Stork 1972, 112
- Bybee 1985, 2, 99