My first week of 'morphing'

The other new class we took this week was Morphology. It may sound like some Gothic villian, but it's actually the study of the structure of words, and how words are formed.

Basically, it's breaking a word down into its constituent and functional parts. It's helping me remember words because it focuses on their elements or bits of meaning, not just their sounds/spelling. More reason, less rote.

Here's an example, as best as I can remember it. Take these two words:

pimipahtâw
(s/he runs)

pimohtew
(s/he walks)

Notice they both begin with the sound 'pim-', which, roughly translated, connotes movement. So, now, anytime I hear/see that 'pim-' at the start of a word, I'll already have some idea of what it could mean, subject to what follows in the rest of the word. Slick, eh?

It's going to get way more complicated and interesting than that obviously, and I am excited to pick up some of the subtleties and nuances of this language.

ekosi,
Rick