Morphology is the study of how words are built and how their forms change. In repainted, re- adds the idea of doing something again, paint gives the basic meaning, and -ed can mark past tense.
Free and bound morphemes
A morpheme is the smallest unit with its own meaning or grammatical function. Paint can stand as a word, so it is a free morpheme. The prefix re- and the suffix -ed attach to a base, so they are bound morphemes.
Three patterns in word structure
- Inflection. Paint and painted are grammatical forms of the same verb.
- Derivation. Adding -er to paint gives painter, a noun for someone who paints.
- Compounding. Paint and brush combine to make paintbrush.
These patterns can occur together. Paintbrushes starts with the compound paintbrush and adds -es to show plural number. See syntax for how words combine into phrases and clauses.
