morphology

/mɔːˈfɒlədʒi/ (bre, ipa) · /mɔːrˈfɑːlədʒi/ (ame, ipa) · /mȯr-ˈfä-lə-jē/ (ame, mw)

morphology — 名詞

1. the study of how living things are shaped and what their body parts look like on

1.名詞C1
釋義

形態學

研究生物體結構與形狀的科學

the study of how living things are shaped and what their body parts look like on the outside and the inside

例句

A sunflower's morphology changes as it grows from a seed into a tall plant.

向日葵的形態學隨著它從種子長成一株高大的植物而改變。

morphology as subject; morphology of + [organism]

Felipe studied the morphology of frogs to understand how their bodies develop over time.

Felipe 研究了青蛙的形態學，以了解牠們的身體隨著時間如何發育。

subject + study + morphology of + [organism]

同義詞
  • form

    less scientific; can refer to any shape, not just of living things

  • structure

    broader; also used for non-living things such as buildings or sentences

  • anatomy

    mainly about internal body parts; overlap with morphology but not identical

文法句型

morphology + of + [organism / organ / species]

用法筆記

Frequently used in academic biology writing. While 'anatomy' focuses on internal body parts, 'morphology' covers both external shape and internal structure. The term can also refer to the study of landforms (geomorphology), but that is a separate, narrower field.

常見錯誤

❌Anatomy and morphology mean the same thing.
✅Anatomy focuses on internal body parts, while morphology covers both external shape and internal structure.
💡the two terms overlap but are not synonyms.

2. the area of language study that looks at how words are built from smaller meanin

2.名詞C1
釋義

構詞學

研究詞彙構成方式的語言學分支

the area of language study that looks at how words are built from smaller meaningful parts, such as prefixes, suffixes, and roots

例句

In English class, Darius learned how morphology explains the meaning of words like 'unhappiness'.

在英文課上，Darius 學到構詞學如何解釋像 'unhappiness' 這類詞的意義。

morphology explaining word formation from parts

Ayesha studied morphology to understand how adding a prefix can change a word's meaning completely.

Ayesha 研究構詞學，以了解加上前綴如何完全改變一個詞的意思。

subject + study + morphology + infinitive clause of purpose

同義詞
反義詞
  • syntax

    the study of sentence structure, the opposite branch of grammar from morphology

文法句型

morphology + of + [language]

[modifier] + morphology

用法筆記

Distinguish from 'syntax', which studies how words combine into sentences. Morphology deals with the internal structure of words themselves. Often taught alongside phonology and syntax in introductory linguistics courses.

常見錯誤

❌Morphology is about how words form sentences.
✅Morphology is about how words are built from parts; syntax is about how words form sentences.
💡morphology and syntax are different branches of linguistics.