I erred on the grapevine - somewhere in my blog there may be a grammar error. Please accept my apologies.The concept of a prefix and a suffix (together affixes) is not too difficult to grasp, but what of the things (for want of a better word) that surround the morpheme which are not words.
So, there are prefixes such as:
- un-
- under-
- pre-
- in-
And there are suffixes such as:
- -able
- -tion
- -ly
- -ness
suffixes also include plurals, possessives, comparatives and superlatives.
What does one call $, £ and other currencies. What of the % symbol? The conundrum within this category is that of pronunciation.
$3 is pronounced three dollars. Why does $ appear as a prefix but is pronounced as a suffix?
3% is pronounced and reads properly.
$5.64 implies "cents" but if you pronounce it, should it not be written 5$ 64c?
$2m - now this one is a challenge! Two (free morpheme) million (suffix, pronounced before the prefix) dollars (prefix, pronounced after the suffix).
I don't think clarification is required, as it appears to work well in everyday parlance. It is merely something I noticed and wished to share with you (singular - for there must only be on reader of this rarely frequented blog at any one time).
Finally, what happens when an acronym becomes part of vernacular to the point that it becomes a word which then gets verbised?
L.A.S.E.R. = Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
Laser printer
I had my eyes lasered.
It's just another oddity I've noticed.
I don't think I will get to lexemes in the near future, but fear not, it is on my radar.
A lot of people don't like bumper stickers. I don't mind bumper stickers. To me a bumper sticker is a shortcut. It's like a little sign that says 'Hey, let's never hang out.'
-- Demetri Martin
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