Which term refers to the smallest meaningful unit of language?

Which term refers to the smallest meaningful unit of language?

• A. Phoneme
• B. Morpheme
• C. Lexeme
• D. Phonological unit

Answer: (B)

The term that refers to the smallest meaningful unit of language is a morpheme. Morphemes can be individual words or parts of words, such as prefixes or suffixes, that carry meaning. For example, the word 'cats' contains two morphemes: 'cat,' which denotes the animal, and the suffix '-s,' which indicates plurality. Thus, a morpheme is capable of standing alone as a meaningful entity or helping to form a meaningful composite with other morphemes. In contrast, a phoneme is the smallest unit of sound in a language, which does not have meaning by itself. Lexemes are sets of related words that share a common meaning, while a phonological unit refers to sound patterns rather than meaning. Therefore, understanding that morphemes are connected to meaning is key to recognizing why it is the correct term in this context.

The term that refers to the smallest meaningful unit of language is a morpheme. Morphemes can be individual words or parts of words, such as prefixes or suffixes, that carry meaning. For example, the word 'cats' contains two morphemes: 'cat,' which denotes the animal, and the suffix '-s,' which indicates plurality. Thus, a morpheme is capable of standing alone as a meaningful entity or helping to form a meaningful composite with other morphemes.

In contrast, a phoneme is the smallest unit of sound in a language, which does not have meaning by itself. Lexemes are sets of related words that share a common meaning, while a phonological unit refers to sound patterns rather than meaning. Therefore, understanding that morphemes are connected to meaning is key to recognizing why it is the correct term in this context.