Bound Morpheme (Noun)
Meaning
A morpheme that occurs only as part of a larger construction; eg an -s at the end of plural nouns.
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The suffix -s in the word 'cats' is a bound morpheme as it can't stand alone and only functions as part of a word.
- In linguistics, the -ed suffix in the word 'walked' is classified as a bound morpheme.
- The past tense marker -ed is a bound morpheme because it cannot be used on its own to convey a meaning.
- The bound morpheme -ful in 'hopeful' and 'helpful' indicates having a particular quality.
- When teaching English, educators often focus on explaining the rules surrounding bound morphemes like -ed, -s, and -ing to help students grasp their meanings.