A compound in this linguistic context is formed by what?

A compound in this linguistic context is formed by what?

• A. Two bound morphemes joined
• B. Two free morphemes joined
• C. One bound and one free morpheme
• D. A free morpheme plus a gesture

Answer: (B)

A compound is formed when two free morphemes join to create a new word with its own meaning. Free morphemes are units that can stand alone as words, like book and case. When you put them together, you get bookcase or sunflower, and the resulting word has a meaning that blends the parts. Bound morphemes, such as prefixes and suffixes like un-, -ing, or -ed, cannot stand alone, so simply attaching them doesn’t produce a standalone new word. A gesture isn’t part of the linguistic morpheme system in this sense, so it doesn’t form a standard compound.

A compound is formed when two free morphemes join to create a new word with its own meaning. Free morphemes are units that can stand alone as words, like book and case. When you put them together, you get bookcase or sunflower, and the resulting word has a meaning that blends the parts. Bound morphemes, such as prefixes and suffixes like un-, -ing, or -ed, cannot stand alone, so simply attaching them doesn’t produce a standalone new word. A gesture isn’t part of the linguistic morpheme system in this sense, so it doesn’t form a standard compound.