Word Formation and Sentence Structure in Linguistics

Word Formation: Morphology

Morphology is the science that studies the form of words. It defines and describes their units, which are the word, the root, the base, and the morpheme. The morpheme is the least significant morphological constituent of a word. Grammatical affixes are bound morphemes attached to a lexical base. Inflectional morphology deals with the grammatical accidents of variable words, manifested through inflections.

Normal flexion includes changes of nouns and adjectives to express gender and number. Verbs can be regular or irregular; the former have an unchanged base and the latter have variations in the root or allomorphy. The vocalic theme, along with the lexical base, is the verb stem. The characteristic aspect expresses the time and manner of a verbal form. The ending indicates the person and the number of the verb.

Lexical morphology deals with the study of procedures for the creation of new words. Composition is the process by which a new word is formed by joining two or more words. Derivation is the process by which new words are created by incorporating lexical morphemes to their base. Parasinthesis is the word formation process by which both a prefix and a suffix are incorporated.

Sentence Structure: Syntax

A sentence is a syntactic construction that is not a constituent of a larger construction. It always contains a verb form; otherwise, it is called a statement. The subject agrees with the verb in number and person. It is a noun phrase. The noun phrase (NP) is composed of a noun or pronoun plus the additions. The predicate is constituted by a verbal nucleus that can accompany a range of accessories.

A locution is a set of terms that have a unitary meaning. Verbal periphrasis is a syntactic unit consisting of two or more verbs that act as one.

Syntactic Functions

• Direct Object (DO): This is the syntactic function that embodies the arguments and an object on which the action falls. It can be a noun, NP, prepositional phrase with a and para, or pronouns. It is replaced by unstressed pronouns lo, la, los, las. By transforming a passive sentence, the DO becomes the passive subject.
• Prepositional Object (C Reg): An object that falls on the verbal and is characterized by a preposition always being necessary to the verb. It can be replaced by a tonic prepositional pronoun but not eliminated. It can precede the verb.
• Indirect Object (IO): Syntactic function corresponding to the arguments experimenter or receiver. It may be preceded by the preposition a or para. It is replaced by the unstressed pronoun le and les. When a sentence becomes passive, the IO is maintained.
• Agent Complement (C Ag): Non-binding addition that appears only in passive sentences. It is presented as a prepositional phrase with de and por. When a sentence becomes active, it is the subject.
• Attribute (At): Modifies the verb and the noun with which it agrees in gender and number. The attribute amends the core of the subject. It can be an adjectival phrase, adverbial phrase, NP, prepositional phrase, or comparative pronoun. It agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies.
• Predicative Complement (C PVO): Modifies the verb and a noun with which it agrees in gender and number when possible. It may be an NP (look at the attribute).
• Circumstantial Complement (CC): Non-argument supplement that occupies a peripheral position of the verb phrase (VP). It can be an NP, prepositional phrase, or adverbial phrase. It is replaced by adverbs or adverbial phrases.