Word
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| :"[[Word]]s: Can't say what they mean don't [[mean]] what they say" --[[Tom Tom Club]] | :"[[Word]]s: Can't say what they mean don't [[mean]] what they say" --[[Tom Tom Club]] | ||
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| + | A '''word''' is the smallest free form (an item that may be uttered in isolation with [[semantic]] or [[pragmatic]] content) in a [[language]], in contrast to a [[morpheme]], which is the smallest unit of meaning. A word may consist of only one morpheme (e.g. [[wolf]]), but a single morpheme may not be able to exist as a free form (e.g. the English [[plural]] morpheme -s). | ||
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| + | Typically, a word will consist of a [[root (linguistics)|root]] or [[stem (linguistics)|stem]], and zero or more [[affix]]es. Words can be combined to create other units of language, such as [[phrase]]s, [[clause]]s, and/or [[sentence (linguistics)|sentences]]. A word consisting of two or more stems joined together form a ''[[compound (linguistics)|compound]]''. | ||
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| + | ''Word'' may refer to a spoken word or a written word, or sometimes, the abstract concept behind either. Spoken words are made up of [[phoneme]]s, and written words of [[grapheme]]s. | ||
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| + | ==See also== | ||
| + | * [[Grammar]] | ||
| + | * [[Lexeme]] | ||
| + | * [[Lexical item]] | ||
| + | * [[Lexicon]] | ||
| + | * [[Lexis (linguistics)]] | ||
| + | * [[Meaning (linguistics)]] | ||
| + | * [[Morphology (linguistics)]] | ||
| + | * [[Speech]] | ||
| + | * [[Utterance]] | ||
| == See also == | == See also == | ||
Revision as of 20:25, 30 September 2010
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- last words
- “‘The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things’” (Lewis Carroll).
- "Words: Can't say what they mean don't mean what they say" --Tom Tom Club
A word is the smallest free form (an item that may be uttered in isolation with semantic or pragmatic content) in a language, in contrast to a morpheme, which is the smallest unit of meaning. A word may consist of only one morpheme (e.g. wolf), but a single morpheme may not be able to exist as a free form (e.g. the English plural morpheme -s).
Typically, a word will consist of a root or stem, and zero or more affixes. Words can be combined to create other units of language, such as phrases, clauses, and/or sentences. A word consisting of two or more stems joined together form a compound.
Word may refer to a spoken word or a written word, or sometimes, the abstract concept behind either. Spoken words are made up of phonemes, and written words of graphemes.
See also
- Grammar
- Lexeme
- Lexical item
- Lexicon
- Lexis (linguistics)
- Meaning (linguistics)
- Morphology (linguistics)
- Speech
- Utterance
See also
- Meaning
- Shot (filming) is the equivalent of a word in a sentence
- Context
- Seven dirty words
- Neologism
- Roget's Thesaurus
- Etymology
