Final answer:
The blank in the question would be filled with the term 'allomorph,' which is a version of a morpheme used in a word. Semantics and syntax are vital for understanding language structure, with semantics focusing on meaning and syntax on sentence organization. Allomorphs are integral to comprehending how words can vary in form while maintaining the same core meaning.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term in the blank is “allomorph,” referring to an actual form used as part of a word representing one version of a morpheme. Morphemes, the smallest units of language that convey meaning, have various forms called allomorphs, which depend on their phonetic and morphological context.
Understanding the concept of allomorphs is fundamental to the study of semantics and syntax, which are essential components of a language's grammar.
Semantics is concerned with how meaning is derived from morphemes and words, while syntax deals with the organization of words into sentences. Language form can be considered in terms of the part of speech a word belongs to, while its function can change depending on its use in a sentence.
An example of an altered word form would be the transformation of “deltion” to “deltiteron”, where the form is partly changed to convey a different meaning or function.