Allomorphic

/ˌæləˈmɔːrfɪk/ adjective

Definition

Relating to or characterized by allomorphs; describing how a word or language element changes form in different contexts.

Etymology

From allomorph + -ic suffix. Developed as linguistic terminology in the 20th century to classify structural variations in language.

Kelly Says

When linguists describe the relationship between 'walk,' 'walks,' and 'walked,' they might call these changes 'allomorphic variation'—it's the technical way of saying 'same word, different clothes.'

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