Glossary of Linguistic Terms

Allomorph

Definition: 

An allomorph is one of two or more complementary morphs which manifest a morpheme in its different phonological or morphological environments.

Discussion: 

The allomorphs of a morpheme are derived from phonological rules and any morphophonemic rules that may apply to that morpheme.

Examples: 

(English)

The plural morpheme in English, usually written as '-s', has at least three allomorphs:

  • [-s] as in [hQts] 'hats'
  • [-z] as in [d&u0254;gz] 'dogs'
  • [«z] as in [bŒks«z] 'boxes
See Also: 

Glossary Hierarchy