Morphology

/mɔːrˈfɑːlədʒi/ noun

Definition

Morphology is the study of forms and structures. In biology, it looks at the shapes and parts of living things, and in linguistics, it studies how words are built from smaller units like prefixes and roots.

Etymology

From Greek “morphē,” meaning “form, shape,” and “-logia,” meaning “study of.” It was introduced in the 19th century to describe systematic study of form in both language and life.

Kelly Says

Morphology lets you zoom in on structure, whether it’s the shape of a leaf or the pieces inside a word like ‘un-help-ful-ly.’ Once you start seeing these forms, both nature and language look like they’re built from reusable design patterns.

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