Question

What is this: used to join root to root as well as to any suffix beginning with a consonant

Answer 1

This question refers to the rule of doubling the final consonant of a word following a specific pattern (CVC) when attaching a suffix that starts with a vowel, a common practice in English morphology to preserve pronunciation and meaning.

Step-by-step explanation:

The symbol used to join a root to root, as well as to any suffix beginning with a consonant, is commonly called a combining form or a connector. When adding suffixes to words, particularly in the case of words ending with a single consonant preceded by a single vowel (known as a CVC pattern), rules come into play. If you are adding a suffix that starts with a vowel, you must double the final consonant of a free stem that has one vowel sound and ends with a CVC pattern.

For example, when we start with the word hop (which ends in a CVC pattern) and add the suffix -ing, we double the last consonant for the new word hopping. Similarly, if a free stem has two vowel sounds and also ends in a CVC pattern with strong stress on the final vowel, the consonant is doubled when attaching a vowel-starting suffix.

These rules are essential to maintain the intended pronunciation and meaning of words in English morphology.

Answer 2

The symbol that joins a root to another root or a suffix starting with a consonant is consonant doubling or twinning. This occurs with a CVC pattern when the suffix begins with a vowel, resulting in words like 'hopping'. The doubling makes understanding word formation and stress patterns in English important.

Step-by-step explanation:

The symbol you are referring to that is used to join a root to another root or to any suffix beginning with a consonant is known as a consonant doubling or twinning. When a free stem of a word ends with a consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) pattern and is followed by a suffix that starts with a vowel, you double the final consonant of the stem if it has one vowel sound, or if it has two vowel sounds and the final vowel is strongly stressed.

This rule is particularly important when creating English words through affixation. For example, the verb 'hop' when suffixed with '-ing' becomes 'hopping', demonstrating consonant doubling.

Examples of how stems and suffixes combine to form words:

• Word + ness ('forgiveness')
• Prefix + bound base + suffix ('dis' + 'gest' + 'ion', resulting in 'digestion')

It is also noteworthy that sometimes double consonants result from the simple addition of two elements where the first ends in the same consonant with which the second starts. Additionally, certain prefixes like ad-, com-, and in-, when joined with roots starting with an 'r', change due to assimilation, becoming ar-, cor-, and ir-.