I tried to simplify and show the difference between root, base, and stem because this topic makes so much confusion for a lot of people and I was one of them.

1. Morphology:
Root, Base and
Stem
By: Ibrahim Muneer
ibrahimmuner98@gmail.c

2. In the next slide, I will explain about root, base and stem.

3.  Words are made up of roots, bases, stems, derivational endings, inflectional endings,
and occasionally clitics. Not everyone agrees on these forms or on the names of
them. This includes Katamba.
 If we include base-extenders (stem-extenders_ as some kind of near-morph or
submorph , then a root is that part of a word from which all affixes and stem-extenders
have been removed. A root differs partially from a stem in that a stem must have
lexical meaning. A root has no lexical meaning and the semantic range of the root is
vague if there is any at all. A stem may contain derivational affixes.
Root
Stems
Bases
The Root is underneath everything
The Bass is the first word form.
The Stem can be branch out

4. Root
Free Root
1- Can stand alone (
meaningful )
2- other bound morphemes (
affixes ) can be attached to it .
3- Of English origin
E.g.
Beauty
Beautiful
Beautify
Beautification
Bound Root
1- Can not occur a lone ( not
meaningful).
2- They can alone be
attached to.
3- Usually of Latin or Greek
origin.
E.g.
ceive and vise
in
receive, deceive, advise,
revise

5. SuffixPrefix
inflectional
Suffixes

7. Bound Root
Cyclus (Greek )
Free Root
Cycle ( English
)
Base
Cycle
Stem
Bicycle / Cyclist
Bicycles = cycle ( root
)
Cyclists = cycle ( root
)
Bicycles = cycle (
base )
Cyclists = cycle (
base )
Bicycles = bicycle ( stem
)
Cyclistes = cycliste (
stem )

8. Bound Root
Stabilis ( Latin )
Free Root
Stable ( English )
Base
Stable
Stem
Stabilize
Stabilize = stable ( root
)
Stability = stable ( root )
Stabilize = stable(
base )
Stability = stable(
base )
Stabilizes = stabilize (
stem )
Stabilized = Stabilize (
stem )

10. Free Root
Win
Free Root
Win ( English )
Base
Win
Stem
Win
Winners = Win ( root ) Winners = Win ( base )
Wins = Win ( stem )
Winners = Winner ( stem )

12. Word Root Why? Stem Why?
Untouchable
s
Touch un, able, s removed Untouchable -s, removed
Touched Touch -ed removed Touch -ed removed
Agreements Agree -ment, s removed Agreement -s removed
Drives Drive -s removed Drive -s removed

13. Word Root Why? Stem Why?
Unpredictabl
e
Electives
Bigger
Unchangeabl
e
Boy’s
Disagreed