Which term refers to indivisible units that can be free or bound?

Which term refers to indivisible units that can be free or bound?

• A. Lexicon
• B. Phonetics
• C. Morphemes
• D. Semantics

Answer: (C)

Understanding how words are built helps reveal how meaning is carried in language. The smallest meaningful pieces are morphemes: indivisible units of meaning that can stand alone or attach to other words. Free morphemes can function as words by themselves, like “book” or “dog.” Bound morphemes can’t stand alone and must attach to another morpheme to convey meaning, such as the prefix “un-” in “unhappy” or the suffix “-s” in “cats.” When these pieces pair with roots, they modify meaning for tense, number, or other grammatical features without changing the core word. So, the term for these indivisible units that can be free or bound is morphemes.

Understanding how words are built helps reveal how meaning is carried in language. The smallest meaningful pieces are morphemes: indivisible units of meaning that can stand alone or attach to other words. Free morphemes can function as words by themselves, like “book” or “dog.” Bound morphemes can’t stand alone and must attach to another morpheme to convey meaning, such as the prefix “un-” in “unhappy” or the suffix “-s” in “cats.” When these pieces pair with roots, they modify meaning for tense, number, or other grammatical features without changing the core word. So, the term for these indivisible units that can be free or bound is morphemes.