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free morpheme

[/friː ˈmɔːrfiːm/]
nounpl: free morphemes
morfema livre
1. A linguistic unit that can stand alone as a word and carry meaning independently, without requiring attachment to other morphemes.
In the word 'unhappy', both 'un' and 'happy' are morphemes, but only 'happy' is a free morpheme because it can stand alone as a complete word.
Na palavra 'unhappy', tanto 'un' quanto 'happy' são morfemas, mas apenas 'happy' é um morfema livre porque pode estar sozinho como uma palavra completa.
2. A morpheme that has the ability to function as an independent word without being bound to other linguistic elements.
The words 'cat', 'run', and 'beautiful' are all free morphemes that can exist independently in sentences.
As palavras 'cat', 'run' e 'beautiful' são todos morfemas livres que podem existir independentemente em sentenças.
Synonyms
independent morphemeunbound morpheme
Antonyms
bound morphemedependent morpheme

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
morfema livre
Standard term used in Brazilian Portuguese linguistics and education
Portugal
morfema livre
Standard term used in European Portuguese linguistics

Related Idioms & Phrases

stand-alone morpheme
independent linguistic unit
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