Chapter 4: Morphology

 
reduplication: non-morphemic word-formation process involving the repetition of a word or 
word-like element in unchanged form (e.g. hush-hush), with a different vowel (e.g. hip-hop) 
or a different consonant (e.g. boogie-woogie). 
 
root compounds: type of compound consisting of free lexical morphemes only, as opposed to 
synthetic compounds (e.g. doorknob, lamppost). 
 
simple lexeme: lexeme consisting of one lexical morpheme only. 
 
suffixation: type of typically word-class-changing word-formation process involving the 
attachment of a bound lexical morpheme at the end of a base (e.g. fairness, agreement). 
 
synthetic compound: type of compound consisting of at least three morphemes, among them 
one bound morpheme and one encoding a verb (e.g. washing-machine, dog owner); many 
synthetic compounds cause problems for analyses based on binary branching. 
 
synthetic language: type of language which encodes grammatical categories by means of 
inflectional morphemes. 
 
word-formation: cover term for morphemic and non-morphemic processes involved in the 
creation of new lexemes on the basis of existing morphemes and lexemes; branch of 
morphology dealing with these processes. 
 
zero-morpheme: theoretical construct used, among other things, to explain conversion as a 
form of derivation comparable to (overt) suffixation, e.g. empty V  empty Adj + {Ø}.