WORDS
A. Definition of “Words”
Word is a genuine linguistic unit.
Written language:
-  Teachers make up spelling lists
-  Lexicographers produce dictionaries, whose entries are mainly words
-  In reading, we recognize words by the white spaces between them
woodchuck, woodcock, wood duck, wood louse
Spoken language:
“What does ……….. mean?”
“How do you pronounce …………. ?”
The blank usually represent a word.
Word:
A free morpheme or a combination of morphemes that together form a
basic segment of speech.
This definition excludes singles bound morphemes such as pre-, -ceive, -ful.
It allows for a single free morpheme like bird or a combination of
morphemes such as incredible.
Words can be identified through the way that they are treated in speech.
When people are speaking, they often pause. Such pauses occur between
words, not within words.
Prof. Charles F. Hockett defines word as “A word is . . . any segment of a
sentence bounded by successive points at which pausing is possible.”
P
P
P
P P P P
P
P
P
P
Since the streetlamp is out, I must call up our councilman.
B. Simple and Complex Words
English words may be classified on the basis of the kinds and combinations
of morphemes of which they are composed.
Simple words
consist of a single free
morpheme.
slay, flea, long, spirit
Compound words
Complex words
contain ICs
two bound morphemes
matri/cide tele/vise
ex/clude cosmo/naut
bound and free form
dispo/mania
lion/ess
tele/phone
eras/er