Final answer:
Word roots, combining forms, and suffixes are parts of words that help determine their meaning. Adding suffixes like '-is', '-es', '-ion', and '-ed' can form different words such as 'analysis', 'galleries', 'digestion', and 'buzzed'. Prefixes might cause assimilation, and combining forms may lead to deletion or maintenance of letters in the root word.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding the structure of words in the English language involves breaking them down into their constituent parts, including word roots, combining forms, and suffixes. Word roots carry the core meaning of the word, combining forms help connect roots to suffixes or other roots, and suffixes alter the meaning of the word and can indicate its part of speech.
Examples of Word Roots and Combining Forms with Suffixes
Analysis: The root 'analys' (to break up or separate) and the suffix '-is' (used to form nouns).
- Gallery + i + es: The root 'galler' (a corridor or passage), the combining form '-i-', and the suffix '-es' which pluralizes the noun to 'galleries'.
Hurry + i + es: The root 'hurr', the combining form '-i-', and the pluralizing suffix '-es', resulting in 'hurries'.
Changes due to Prefixes and Combinations
When prefixes such as ad-, com-, and in- are added to stems beginning with an 'r', a change called assimilation occurs, such as in 'arrive' (ad + rive), 'correlate' (com + relate), and 'irregular' (in + regular).
Adding the suffix -ess to a stem, sometimes causes adjustments in the stem or may remain unaltered. Some stem nouns when combined with '-ess' to form new nouns are 'lion' to 'lioness' or 'host' to 'hostess', showing no change in the stem.
The suffix -ed can produce different sounds based on the preceding consonant. Words ending in a voiced consonant typically have the suffix pronounced as [d], like in 'buzzed', while those ending in a voiceless consonant are pronounced as [t], like in 'kissed'.
Combination of Stems and Suffixes
Combining stem words and suffixes can also involve the deletion of final 'e's in some cases. For instance, 'lace + y' equals 'lacy', where the final 'e' from 'lace' is dropped.