Word Matrix: Cat
<cat> “feline” from Old English catt Words Sums Cat Cat + s -> cats Cat + ed -> catted Cat + ing -> catting Cat + y -> catty Cat + y + er -> cattier Cat + y + est -> cattiest Cat + Bird -> catbird Cat + Bird + s -> catbirds […] More
Latest stories
-
-
Adjectives Versus Verbs: Participial Adjectives
As I have written many times before, the line between grammatical forms is blurry at best, especially among lexical categories like adjectives and verbs. Adjectives are “words that describe nouns.” Verbs are “words that denote actions, occurrences, and states.” Participles are nonfinite verbs that share characteristics and functions of verbs, adjectives, and nouns. A present […] More
-
Word Matrix: Pter(e)
Structured word inquiry of the base
-
in Linguistics
How to Diagram a Sentence: Form-Function Diagrams
What is grammar? The popular notion is actual or presumed prescriptive notions about the correct use of a language. But linguistics define grammar differently. Grammar is the study of the internal structure of words (morphology) and the use of words in the construction of phrases, clauses, and sentences (syntax). The Form-Function Method for teaching grammar […] More
-
Using Verbs and Verb Phrases as Noun Phrase Complements
Learn about the use of verbs and verb phrases as noun phrase complements in English grammar. More
-
in Linguistics
Please Don’t Lambast(e) Me
I love all forms of word play. Before Easter, I heard a local news reporter pronounce the word <lambasted> “to criticize harshly, to assault violently” as /læmbeɪstɪd/, with the second syllable of the word pronounced like <baste> (rhymes with <waste>). I figured that he had had a slip of the tongue, which happens. No big […] More
-
Word Matrix: Kin
<kin> “family; race; kind, sort, rank; nature” from Old English cynn Word Sums Kin a + Kin -> akin Kin + Folk -> kinfolk Kin + s + Folk -> kinsfolk Kin + ship -> kinship Kin + hood -> kinhood Kin + State -> kinstate Kin + State + s -> kinstates Kin […] More
-
Word Matrix: Rain
<rain> “water from clouds” from Old English regn “rain” Word Sums Rain Rain + s -> rains Rain + ed -> rained Rain + ing -> raining Rain + y -> rainy Rain + y + er -> rainier Rain + y + est -> rainiest Rain + y + ly -> rainily Rain + […] More
-
Word Matrix: Vegete
Structured Word Inquiry word sums and matrix of the base
meaning “non-animal life [lively, active, sprightly, vigorous].” More -
Not All Forms That Function as Adverbials Are Adverbs
The other day I read a tweet that made some claims about adverbs: “The -s in “unawares,” as in “they were caught unawares,” is completely distinct from the pluralizing -s. It’s an adverb suffix, and it’s also in “always” and “nowadays,” and in “nights,” “weekends,” etc., as in “they work nights/weekends.” #FunWithMorphology” The -s in […] More
-
Word Matrix: Pink
<pink> “pale red color” meaning “pale rose color” first recorded 1733 “small” from Dutch pink “small” Word Sums pink Pink + s = pinks Pink + ed = pinked Pink + ing = pinking Pink + en = pinken Pink + en + s = pinkens Pink + en + ed = pinkened Pink + […] More
-
Word Matrix: Yester
<yester> “former, earlier, previous” from Old English geostran “yesterday” Words Sums Yester Yester + s = yesters Yester + Day = yesterday Yester + Day + s = yesterdays Yester + Eve = yestereve Yester + Eve + s = yestereves Yester + Even = yestereven Yester + Even + s = yesterevens Yester + […] More
-
Word Matrix: Somn
<somn> “sleep” from somnus “sleep” Words Sums Somn + us = somnus Somn + o + G(e)n(e) = somnogen Somn + o + G(e)n(e) + s = somnogens Somn + o + G(e)n(e) + ic = somnogenic Somn + ole + ism = somnolism Somn + ole + ent = somnolent Somn + ole + […] More
-
Are ‘Yesterday,’ ‘Today’, and ‘Tomorrow’ Nouns or Adverbs?
Are the words yesterday, today, and tomorrow adverbs or nouns? Oxford Living Dictionaries identifies all three words as an adverb first and a noun second. Etymonline lists yesterday as a noun and adverb but today and tomorrow as only adverbs. Wiktionary defines today and tomorrow as adverbs first and nouns second but yesterday as a […] More
-
in Linguistics
Lies Your Grammar Teacher Told You: Singular and Plural
I recently shared a photo across my social media accounts of the grammar textbook that I currently use with my oldest. I included the following caption: “I always have to fix my kids’ grammar books. Plural means “not one.” If you have zero or less than zero of something, you use the plural form: ‘I […] More
-
Word Matrix: Thaumate
<thaumate> “wonder, astonishment, thing to look at, miracle,” from Greek thauma (genitive thaumatos), literally “a thing to look at,” from root of theater Words Sums Thaumate + ic = thaumatic Thaumate + in = thaumatin Thaumate + in + s = thaumatins Thaumate + Urge = thaumaturge Thaumate + Urge + s = thaumaturges Thaumate […] More
-
Word Matrix: Thauma
<thauma> “wonder, astonishment, thing to look at, miracle,” from Greek thauma (genitive thaumatos), literally “a thing to look at,” from root of theater Words Sums Thauma Thauma + s = thaumas Thauma + Trope = thaumatrope Thauma + Trope + s = thaumatropes Thauma + Vore = thaumavore Thauma + Vore + s = thaumavores […] More
-
Word Matrix: Ichor
<ichor> “ethereal fluid that serves for blood in the veins of the gods,” from French ichor or Modern Latin ichor, from Greek ikhōr Word Sums Ichor Ichor + s -> ichors Ichor + ous -> ichorous Ichor + Heme + i + a -> ichorhemia Petr + Ichor -> petrichor Morphemes ichor: ethereal fluid that […] More
-
Word Matrix: Morrow
<morrow> “morning” from Middle English morwe, variant of morwen, from Old English morgen Word Sums Morrow Morrow + s = morrows Morrow + ed = morrowed Morrow + ing = To + Morrow = tomorrow To + Morrow + s = tomorrows To + Morrow + er = tomorrower To + Morrow + er […] More
-
Lies Your Grammar Teacher Told You: Indirect Objects
I recently tweeted my post entitled Using Nouns and Noun Phrases as Indirect Objects. To my tweet, I received a comment that argued that, although the cat in I gave the cat a bath is indeed a recipient, the cat is not an indirect object but rather a direct object. Analyzing the cat as a […] More