Editing Null morpheme

{{Short description|Morpheme whose realization is not reflected in pronunciation or orthography}}
{{refimprove|date=October 2008}}

In [[Morphology (linguistics)#Morpheme-based morphology|morphology]], a '''null morpheme''' or '''zero morpheme''' is a [[morpheme]] that has no phonetic form.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lexicon.hum.uu.nl/?lemma=Null+Morpheme&lemmacode=517&lemma=Null+Morpheme&lemmacode=517|title=Lexicon of Linguistics|website=lexicon.hum.uu.nl|access-date=2019-12-05}}</ref> In simpler terms, a null morpheme is an "invisible" affix. It is a concept useful for analysis, by contrasting null morphemes with alternatives that do have some phonetic realization.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.glossary.sil.org/term/zero-morph |title=Zero Morph |website=Glossary of Linguistic Terms |date=3 December 2015 |publisher=SIL}}</ref> The null morpheme is represented as either the figure zero (''0'') or the [[empty set]] symbol ∅. 

In most languages, it is the [[affix]]es that are realized as null morphemes, indicating that the derived form does not differ from the [[Word stem|stem]]. For example, plural form ''sheep'' can be analyzed as combination of ''sheep'' with added null affix for the plural. The process of adding a null affix is called ''null affixation'', ''null derivation'' or ''zero derivation''.  The concept was first used by the 4th century BCE [[Sanskrit grammarian]] from ancient India, [[Pāṇini]], in his [[Sanskrit]] [[grammar]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.glottopedia.org/index.php/Null_morpheme|title=Null morpheme - Glottopedia|website=www.glottopedia.org|access-date=2019-12-05}}</ref>

==In English==
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===Inflection===
The existence of a null morpheme in a [[word]] can also be theorized by contrast with other forms of the same word showing alternative morphemes.  For example, the singular number of English [[noun]]s is shown by a null morpheme that contrasts with the plural morpheme ''-s''.
* ''cat''  = ''cat'' + ''-∅'' = ROOT ("cat") + SINGULAR
* ''cats'' = ''cat'' + ''-s'' = ROOT ("cat") + PLURAL

In addition, there are some cases in English where a null morpheme indicates plurality in nouns that take on irregular plurals.
* ''sheep'' = ''sheep'' + ''-∅'' = ROOT ("sheep") + SINGULAR
* ''sheep'' = ''sheep'' + ''-∅'' = ROOT ("sheep") + PLURAL

Also, a null morpheme marks the present tense of English [[verb]]s in all forms but the third person singular:
* ''(I) run''   = ''run'' + ''-∅'' = ROOT ("run") + PRESENT: Non-3rd-SINGULAR
* ''(He) runs'' = ''run'' + ''-s'' = ROOT ("run") + PRESENT: 3rd-SINGULAR<ref name=":0" />

===Derivation===
According to some linguists' view, English verbs such as ''to clean'', ''to slow'', ''to warm'' are converted from [[adjective]]s by a null morpheme – in contrast to verbs such as ''to widen'' or ''to enable'' which are also converted from adjectives, but using non-null morphemes.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}  Null derivation, also known as [[Conversion (word formation)|conversion]] if the [[word class]] changes, is very common in [[analytic language]]s such as English.

==In other languages==
In languages that show the above distinctions, it is quite common to employ null affixation to mark singular number, present tense and third persons.  It is also frequent to find null affixation for the least-[[markedness|marked]] [[grammatical case|case]]s (the [[nominative case]] in [[nominative–accusative language]]s, and the [[absolutive case]] in [[ergative–absolutive language]]s). English is unusual in its marking of the third person singular with a non-zero morpheme, by contrast with a null morpheme for others. Another unusual usage of the null morpheme is the feminine genitive case plural in most Slavic languages, cf. [[Russian language|Russian]] singular nominative ''женщин-а'' (''zhenshchin-a''), ''woman'', singular genitive ''женщин-ы'' (''zhenshchin-y''), ''woman's'' and plural genitive ''женщин-∅'' (''zhenshchin-∅''), ''women's''.

In most languages of the world it is the affixes that are realized as null morphemes.  But in some cases [[Root (linguistics)|roots]] may also be realized as these.  For instance, the Russian word вы-''∅''-ну-ть (''vynut''', 'to take out') consists of one [[Prefix (linguistics)|prefix]] (вы-), one zero root (''-∅-''), and two suffixes (-ну- and -ть).<ref>[http://www.gramota.ru/spravka/buro/29_264848 Russian Language Institute, question 210775]</ref>

A basic radical element plus a null morpheme is not the same as an [[uninflected word]], though usage may make those equal in practice.

==See also==
*[[Covert (linguistics)]]
*[[Ellipsis (linguistics)]]
*[[Lemma (morphology)]]
*[[Marker (linguistics)]]
*[[Null allomorph]]
*[[Zero (linguistics)]]
*[[Disfix]]

==References==
{{reflist}}Note: All of the examples under the Inflection heading come from the same source.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Null Morpheme}}
[[Category:Morphemes|Morpheme]]
[[Category:Zero (linguistics)]]