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Which of these words do you get by combining the prefix "not" and the word root for "shape"?

a. Deform
b. Reform
c. Malform
d. Uniform

User Rob Grant
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The word formed by combining 'not' with 'shape' is 'malform'. This represents a kind of negation or incorrect formation of shape. Various English word formation examples through prefixes, bases, and suffixes reveal palatalization resulting in a [ch] sound spelled as . Option c is the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

To answer the question about which word you get by combining the prefix "not" with the word root for "shape," we need to consider the meanings provided in the options a to d.

Options a, b, c, and d, referring to deform, reform, malform, and uniform respectively, each convey different implications about 'shape'. However, the prefix 'not' suggests an absence or negation of shape, which leads us to answer c. Malform, which means to shape badly or wrongly, aligning with the idea of 'not' having the proper shape.

In English language and its morphology, combining prefixes, bases, and suffixes is an exercise in word formation. Here, the transformations due to palatalization result in a [ch] sound spelled as . Here are some examples:

  • Dis + gest + ion = Digestion
  • Spirit + ual = Spiritual
  • Question + er = Questioner
  • Act + ual + ly = Actually
  • Ad + vent + ure + ous = Adventurous
  • Script + ure + al = Scriptural
  • Liter + ate + ure = Literature
User Alon Segal
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