What is the morphology of the word colonisation? As my readers probably know, I am an American living in America who primarily uses American spellings. So, why did I use the spelling colonisation with the -ise suffix instead of the -ize suffix? Because a reader asked me to do a word study on colonisation with the British spelling!
At first glance, I can see the -ise, -ate, and -ion suffixes on the end of the word, which leaves <colon> or <colone>. I will decide if the replaceable <e> is required once I determine the base of the word and any additional affixes. English has both a co- prefix and an -on suffix, which could leave <co + lon(e)> or <col(e) + on>. But I will need to research the history of the word before deciding on a base and any additional affixes.
<Colon(e) + ise + ate + ion → colonisation>
Knowing the meaning of the word colonisation, I am confident that the word colony is a relative, probably morphological. Looking up colonisation in Wiktionary and Etymonline, I learn that the word is the British spelling of colonization and means “process of establishing a colony, state of being a colony.” There is that colony again! Both sources tell me that colonization comes from colonize + -ation (but we know that -ation is a complex suffix consisting of -ate + -ion).
Looking up colonize, I see that the surface structure is colony + -ize, but I know that the base is not <Colony> because the -ize suffix does not replace an <y>. When I investigate colony, I see that the origin is from Latin colōnia from colōnus from colere. Right away, I see the Latin -ia, which developed into the -y suffix in English. Thus I know that the base is the bound base <Colone> with the replaceable <e> to prevent doubling of the <n>.
<Colone + y → colony>
The <Colone> base denotes “inhabit, settle, cultivate” and forms the foundation of colonisation.
<Colone + ise + ate + ion → colonisation>
Additional morphological relatives include, but are not limited to, colonial, colonialism, colonialization, colonist, colonize, colonizee, colonizer, and postcolonial.
<Colone + i + al → colonial>
<Colone + i + al + ism → colonialism>
<Colone + i + al + ize + ate + ion → colonialization>
<Colone + ist → colonist>
<Colone + ize → colonize>
<Colone + ize + ee → colonizee>
<Colone + ize + er → colonizer>
<post + Colone + i + al → postcolonial>
