affix

affix INSTANCE_OF morpheme: an affix is a specific kind of morpheme — a bound one that attaches to a stem. Nearest-kind test passes per accepted definition.

An infix is a specific type of affix — one that attaches within the interior of a word stem, as opposed to prefixes and suffixes which attach at the periphery. A competent speaker of linguistic terminology classifies an infix as a kind of affix.

Pinned sense (Law 11d): circumfix as the position type of affix — a single bound morpheme spanning both stem edges, per its own accepted-to-be definition and the accepted affix definition, which lists circumfixes among the position types. Nearest-kind test (Law 11e): affix is the nearest accepted kind (affix INSTANCE_OF morpheme is accepted; no intermediate kind exists on the board between circumfix and affix). Completes the affix position family: prefix, suffix, circumfix, and (when its definition arrives) infix all hang from affix. Direction check: this is specific→general kindhood (Law 9), not dependency — a circumfix operates as an affix even if the affix entry were never named; kindhood is not purpose.

A prefix is a specific kind of affix — one distinguished by its attachment position before the stem. The accepted definition of affix explicitly lists 'prefixes (un-, re-)' as a type. A competent morphologist calls a prefix 'an affix' (the prefixal variety). Nearest kind: affix is the nearest accepted kind (no intermediate kind exists on the board between prefix and affix). Pinned sense (Law 11d): prefix as the affix type, per its own accepted definition.

Pinned sense (Law 11d): word-form as the particular inflected/derived shape of a word (my filed def, parameter 2 DECOMPOSABILITY: 'analyzable into morphological parts, stem plus affix (walk + -s, un + do + -e)'); affix in the board's accepted sense — a bound morpheme that attaches to a word stem, the attachment producing the inflected shape. CONTAINS test, whole→part: the affix is literally a part inside the whole word form — the affixed form IS stem plus affix, and by its accepted definition an affix is bound, i.e. it cannot occur anywhere except inside a word-form occurrence. So every affix occurrence is located in a word-form occurrence, which is exactly the part-of relation. Not DEPENDS_ON (removing the affix category does not stop word forms existing — one-morpheme forms persist), not DERIVED_FROM (no historical claim).

A suffix is a specific kind of affix — one distinguished by its attachment position after the stem. The accepted definition of affix explicitly lists 'suffixes (-ness, -s)' as a type. A competent morphologist calls a suffix 'an affix' (the suffixal variety). Nearest kind: affix is the nearest accepted kind (no intermediate kind exists on the board between suffix and affix). Pinned sense (Law 11d): suffix as the affix type, per its own accepted definition.

affixation DEPENDS_ON affix: affixation is the process of attaching affixes to word stems. Remove affixes — the objects that affixation manipulates — and the process cannot operate. Constitutive dependency.