formant
- noun
- /ˈfɔːrmənt/
- Specialized
:
formante
- The -ed ending in 'walked' is a formant that shows the past tense.
Examples
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In some languages, a vowel change acts as a formant to indicate plural forms.
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Adding the prefix 'un-' as a formant can change the meaning of a word to its opposite.
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The formant indicates the tense of the verb.
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She studied the different formants in linguistics.
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The -ed ending in 'walked' is a formant that shows the past tense.
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In some languages, a vowel change acts as a formant to indicate plural forms.
-
Adding the prefix 'un-' as a formant can change the meaning of a word to its opposite.
Synonyms
An ending added to a word to show tense or number without changing its main meaning
Letters added to the end of a word to show grammar, such as tense, number or case
A part of a word, like a prefix, that changes its meaning or grammar
Something you add to the end of a word to change its meaning or form
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Formant comes from form, a word meaning 'to shape', and the ending -ant, meaning 'that which'. A formant in grammar is a part that makes a change in a word, like -ed showing past tense, so the name shows it helps make a word's form.
