What are the smallest meaningful units in a language called?

What are the smallest meaningful units in a language called?

• A. Morphemes
• B. Phonemes
• C. Syntax
• D. Graphemes

Answer: (A)

The smallest meaningful units in a language are called morphemes. Morphemes can be whole words or parts of words, such as prefixes or suffixes, that carry specific meanings. For example, in the word "unhappiness," there are three morphemes: "un-" (which indicates negation), "happy" (the root word), and "-ness" (which denotes a state or condition). Understanding morphemes is crucial in linguistic studies and educational psychology because it helps in the development of language skills and literacy. Other options refer to different aspects of language: phonemes are the smallest units of sound that can distinguish meaning; syntax involves the rules that govern sentence structure; and graphemes are the smallest units in written language, such as letters or letter combinations. While these concepts are important to language comprehension, they do not define the smallest meaningful unit, which is specifically the function of morphemes.

The smallest meaningful units in a language are called morphemes. Morphemes can be whole words or parts of words, such as prefixes or suffixes, that carry specific meanings. For example, in the word "unhappiness," there are three morphemes: "un-" (which indicates negation), "happy" (the root word), and "-ness" (which denotes a state or condition). Understanding morphemes is crucial in linguistic studies and educational psychology because it helps in the development of language skills and literacy.

Other options refer to different aspects of language: phonemes are the smallest units of sound that can distinguish meaning; syntax involves the rules that govern sentence structure; and graphemes are the smallest units in written language, such as letters or letter combinations. While these concepts are important to language comprehension, they do not define the smallest meaningful unit, which is specifically the function of morphemes.