Introduction

Have you ever wondered how words are formed and what makes them meaningful? The study of linguistics can help us understand the structure and meaning of words. In this article, we will analyze the word “friendliness” and determine how many morphemes it has.

What are Morphemes?

Morphemes are the smallest units of meaning in a language. They can be words or parts of words that carry meaning. For example, the word “unhappy” has two morphemes: “un-” which means “not” and “happy” which means “feeling or showing pleasure or contentment.”

There are two types of morphemes: free morphemes and bound morphemes. Free morphemes can stand alone as words, such as “happy” or “friend.” Bound morphemes, on the other hand, cannot stand alone and must be attached to a free morpheme to create a word. For example, the suffix “-ness” in “friendliness” is a bound morpheme.

Analysis of “Friendliness”

The word “friendliness” is made up of three morphemes: “friend,” “-ly,” and “-ness.”

• The free morpheme “friend” means “a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection.”
• The bound morpheme “-ly” is an adverbial suffix that means “in a certain manner or way.” When added to “friend,” it creates the adverb “friendly.”
• The bound morpheme “-ness” is a nominalizing suffix that turns an adjective into a noun. When added to “friendly,” it creates the noun “friendliness.”

Therefore, “friendliness” means “the quality of being friendly.”

Conclusion

In conclusion, the word “friendliness” has three morphemes: “friend,” “-ly,” and “-ness.” Understanding the morphemes in a word can help us understand its meaning and how it is formed. Linguistics is a fascinating field that can help us appreciate the complexity and beauty of language.