Root, Stem, Base Theoretical Framework

Bauer states that a stem is concern only when dealing with inflectional morphology. Inflectional but not derivational affixes are added to it and it is also the part of the word form that remains when all the inflectional affixes have been removed. In the form untouchables the stem is untouchable; although in the form touched, the stem is touch. In the form wheelchairs, the stem is wheelchair, even though the stem contains two roots 1983:20. In addition, according to Katamba 1993:45 the stem is existence before any inflectionalaffixes i.e. those affixes whose presence is required by the syntax such as markers of singular and plural number in nouns, tense in verb, etc. have been added. In addition, according to Bauer, the term base is defined as any form to which affixes of any kind can be added. This mean that any root or any stem can be termed as a base, but the set of bases is not exhausted by the union of the set of roots and the set of stems: a derivational analyzeable form to which derivational affixes are added can only be referred to as a base. For example, touchable can act as a base for prefixation to give untouchable. However, in this process touchable could not be referred as a root because it is analyzable in the terms of derivational morphology, nor as a stem since it is not the adding of inflectional affix which is in question 1983:21. The affixes attached to the a base may be: inflectional affixes selected for syntactic reasons and derivational affixes which alter the meaning or grammatical category of the base Katamba, 1993:45.

2.3.6 Derivational Affixes

Affixation as one of the morphological process in word formation can be divided into two major functional categories, namely inflectional affixes and derivational affixes. This reflects a recognition of two principal word building process: inflectional and derivational Katamba, 1993: 47. Both are forming word in different ways. Inflectional is traditionally regarded as change in the grammatical or morphosytactic form of word lexeme. While, derivational is concerning with the formation of new lexeme by affixation Spencer, 1991: 193. In linguistic, derivation is formation of a new word or inflectional stem from another word or stem. Certain bound morphemes change the category of the words to which they are attached as these words: doubtful, establishment, darken, frighten and teacher. Derivational is used to form a new word, as with happiness and unhappy from happy or arrangement from arrange. A contrast is intended with process of inflection, which uses another kind of affix in order to form variants of the same word, likes determining, determined, and determines. Finnegan 2003:43 said that derivational morphemes produce new word from existing word in two ways. They can change the meaning of the words: true versus untrue: paint versus repaint. Or they can change a words lexical category: true is an adjective, truly an adverb, truth a noun. Katamba 1993:47 also explains that derivational morphemes form new words either: 1. By changing the meaning of the base to which they are attached, kind vsunkind. both are adjectives but with opposite meanings, or 2. By changing the word-class that a base belong to, e.g. the addition of -ly to the adjective kind produce the adverb kind -ly. As rule, it is possible to derive an adverbs by adding the suffix –lyto an adjectival base.