Download (a set of meaningful linguistic units). Allomorphs vary in shape or

LECTURE 11
What is an allomorph?
An allomorph is
a linguistics term
for
a
variant
form
of
a morpheme. The concept occurs when a unit of meaning can vary in
sound (phonologically) without changing meaning. It is used in
linguistics to explain the comprehension of variations in sound for a
specific morpheme.
English has several morphemes that vary in sound but not in
meaning. Examples include the past tense and the plural morphemes.
For example, in English, a past tense morpheme is -ed. It occurs in
several allomorphs depending on its phonological environment,
assimilating
voicing
of
the
previous
segment
or
inserting
the
alveolar
a schwa when following an alveolar stop:

as /əd/ or /ɪd/ in
verbs
whose stem ends
with
stops /t/ or /d/, such as 'hunted' /hʌntəd/ or 'banded' /bændəd/

as /t/ in verbs whose stem ends with voiceless phonemes other
than /t/, such as 'fished' /fɪʃt/

as /d/ in verbs whose stem ends voiced phonemes other than /d/,
such as 'buzzed' /bʌzd/
These three phonemic forms of –Dpt are not interchangeable. The
occurrence of one or another of them depends on its phonological
environment. This pattern of occurrence is called complementary
distribution, abbreviated CD.
An allomorph is an alternative manifestation of a morpheme (a
set of meaningful linguistic units). Allomorphs vary in shape or
pronunciation according to their conditions of use, but not as to
meaning.
Examples
Here are some examples of allomorphs. In English, the negative
prefix in has several allomorphs:

In-capable

Il-logical

Im-probable

Ir-reverent
Replacive allomorph.
It is a linguistic element that replaces or substitutes for
something
else.
The
term
is
particularly
label replacive morph or replacive morpheme to
forms
such
described
in
used
enable
in
irregular
as men from man and sang or sung from sing to
morphemic
terms,
despite
falling
the
outside
be
the
straightforward rules for forming noun plurals or past verb forms by
the addition of inflections.