rule of morphology
- noun
- /ruːl əv mɔːrˈfɑːlədʒi/
- Specialized
:
regla de morfología
- The plural '-s' in English is a common rule of morphology that adds 's' or 'es' to form plurals.
Examples
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Teachers often explain the rule of morphology that governs the transformation of verbs into their past tense forms.
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The rule of morphology explains how words are formed.
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Understanding the rule of morphology helps linguists trace the evolution of words over time.
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Many students struggle with the rules of morphology in linguistics.
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Teachers often explain the rule of morphology that governs the transformation of verbs into their past tense forms.
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The plural '-s' in English is a common rule of morphology that adds 's' or 'es' to form plurals.
-
Understanding the rule of morphology helps linguists trace the evolution of words over time.
Synonyms
1
2.5
A guide about how to form sentences and use words correctly
A way to show how words are made from small parts like un- and -ness
A guideline that tells how people use words and sentences
How General
Surface Forms
Morphology
rule + of + morphology
The phrase is fully compositional: 'rule' (a regulation) combined with the linker 'of' and 'morphology' (the study of word formation) straightforwardly yields 'a rule governing morphology.' The 'rule of X' construction is a regular, cross-linguistic noun-phrase pattern, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
The phrase rule of morphology is like a small book: the word rule gives instructions and morphology means a word's 'shape', so it refers to a rule about how words are built or changed.