SILGLOBALGlossary of
Linguistic Terms

Glossary term R

Root

Definition

A root is the portion of a word that

  • is common to a set of derived or inflected forms, if any, when all affixes are removed
  • is not further analyzable into meaningful elements, being morphologically simple, and
  • carries the principle portion of meaning of the words in which it functions.

Discussion

If a root does not occur by itself in a meaningful way in a language, it is referred to as a bound morpheme.

Examples

  • Disestablish
  • Establishment
  • Establishments

See also

Stem Derivation Inflection Affix (Linguistics) Bound Morpheme

Sources 5

  1. Crystal 1985, 268
  2. Hartmann and Stork 1972, 199
  3. Pei and Gaynor 1954, 187–188
  4. Mish 1991, 1023
  5. Matthews 1991, 64
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