3 The notion of allomorph

Allomorphs are called morphs that are the part of the one and the same morpheme; the variants of a morpheme = are the representation of a given morpheme that manifests the alteration.

e.g morphs klia and klar = allomorphs 1 morpheme

A morpheme can be represented by only 1 allomorph

Allomorphs are divided into:

• phonetically condition – are allomorphs, the choice of which depends on the phonetic environment; they are always productive way of world building ([iz, s, z] are used after the phonemes [s, z, ʃ,ʒ, tʃ,dʒ])

• morphologically condition – are allomorphs the choice of which depends on the morphemes environment

e.g. Sing : boy [boi] boys [boiz]

hand [hand] hands [handz]

cat [kat] cats [kats]

ox [oks] oxen [oksɘn]

Allomorph

 An allomorph may be defined as the “variant of morpheme whichoccurs in a certain definable environment”.One of the various distinct forms of a morpheme is an

allomorph

. Allomorphs occur in predicable environments. A morpheme may have one or more allomorph. Allomorphs can be described in terms of phonemes. An abstract such as plural morpheme in English can be represented in three forms:

- as in books, pens, marks-esas in beaches, dishes, peaches-enas in oxen, children, womenThe suffixes –s, -es and –en, each, represent the plural morpheme inthe English language. Each of these distinct forms cannot be established as a morpheme because they cannot occur independently, but do occur under phonetic conditioning, as follows:

-s occurs after sounds spelled with p, t, k, d, g, f, v, th, l, r, n,m, ng, y, w.-es occurs after sounds spelled with ch, sh, s, z, x.-en does not occur under phonetic conditioning, but is a matter of convention.The negative particle not in English also has a bundle of allomorphs.Representing the negative not are im-, il-, ir-, un-, in-, and dis-.Phonetic conditioning that determines the negative prefixes in-, im-,il-, ir-, and un-, in certain composite words is the initial sound of thebase which follows each of the prefixes:Im- is prefixed to possible bases with initial letter 

m or  p as inimmovable, improper, immature, impossible, immorality, impolite.il- is prefixed to possible bases with initial letter I

as in illegible,illegal, illiterate, illogical, illuminate, illiquid.ir- is prefixed to possible bases with initial letter  r  as in irrelevant,irregular, irrational, irresponsible, irremovable, irreversible.un- is prefixed to possible base with other initial letter sounds as inunbeloved, unhappy, unanalyzed, unburnt, unprejudiced, ungraceful.in- is prefixed to possible bases with other initial letter sounds as inincapable, inapplicable, independent, inadequate, inhuman, insensible,inviolable,dis- is prefixed to possible bases with other initial sounds as indisagree, dislike, disapprove, disestablish, disunion, disaffection.In the relation to a bound morpheme, we should consider the notionof the allomorph.

In cases where there is no marker for the plural (as in ‘deer’,sheep,’ etc.) the allomorph of the plural morpheme is shown as // Ø {=zero); it is called a zero allomorph.