A Morphological Analysis of Martin Luther King Jr's "I HAVE A DREAM" Speech: a Compositional Semantic Perspective
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Scholars International Journal of Linguistics and Literature
Abbreviated Key Title: Sch Int J Linguist Lit
ISSN 2616-8677 (Print) |ISSN 2617-3468 (Online)
Scholars Middle East Publishers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Journal homepage: https://saudijournals.com
Original Research Article
A Morphological Analysis of Martin Luther King Jr’s “I HAVE A
DREAM” Speech:
1*
a Compositional Semantic Perspective
Datondji Cocou André
1
Department of English, Abomey-Calavi University, Abomey-Calavi, Republic of Benin
DOI: 10.36348/sijll.2023.v06i01.005 | Received: 01.12.2022 | Accepted: 09.01.2023 | Published: 12.01.2023
*Corresponding author: Datondji Cocou André
Department of English, Abomey-Calavi University, Abomey-Calavi, Republic of Benin
Abstract
This research work has investigated the importance of linguistic morphology in the construction of new lexemes and
grammatically conditioned words on the first hand and the way both derivational and inflectional morphemes function to
carry and impart compositional meaning in text on the other. Premised on the objective of raising more awareness on the
significance of morphological research, this paper has applied both the quantitative and qualitative analysis methods to
the historic speech ―I Have a Dream‖ by the African American civil rights figurehead Martin Luther King Jr. The
scientific roadmap thus carved has led its process through the identification, labelling and numbering of the distinctive
derivational (50 /40%) and inflectional (75 / 60%) morphemes. A furthering of the quantitative input has displayed an
outstanding use of nominalisations with nouns derived from adjectives 17 [13.6%] and from verbs 12 [9.6%] with bound
morphemes such as ―ity‖, ―ice‖, ―ation‖, ―tion‖, ―or‖, and ―dom‖. On the inflectional part, the prevailing use of regular
and irregular plural number imparting morphemes (47 / 37.6%) together with tense inflections (16 / 12.8%) pair up to
confirm, in a qualitative analytical approach, the ideological perspective of the speaker to include the largest anonymous
members of the African American community as the intended beneficiaries of his unquenchable soft but vibrant battle for
freedom. The use of tense indicating morphemes has revealed the presence of a threefold tense progression from the past
tense (simple past and past perfect) to the simple present and then to the future. The crosscheck of the semantics of such
morphemic operations has uncovered the perspective of Martin Luther King Jr for the logical representation of the
sufferings of the Black community and liberation struggles in the past, the need to keep the battle going in the present
time with the conviction of brighter days in the future.
Keywords: linguistic morphology, inflection and derivations, morphological analysis, semantics.
Copyright © 2023 The Author(s): This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
License (CC BY-NC 4.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium for non-commercial use provided the original
author and source are credited.
DeCarrico (2010) see it in the category of formal
INTRODUCTION grammars together with syntax under the umbrella of
The definitional approach to linguistics as the the chomskian endeavours (Chomsky, 1981, 1995), as
scientific study of language bears a heavy load of the opposed to functional grammars as led by Halliday
endeavours entrusted to the scientists of that complex (1978, 1994). In spite of the relevance of such a
semiotic system used for social interaction. Moreover, it standpoint, this study is purposed to investigate not
rings the bell of the hierarchical perspective of language only the contribution of morphemes in their forms as
through the compositional network of the sound, the the smallest graphological building blocks but also in
morpheme, the word, the clause, the sentence and the the meaning they carry through their lexicogrammatical
paragraph (DeCarrico, 1998; Feldman, 2006; Peters, functions in text. This simultaneous twofold view of
1983). In the achievement of the meaning making tool language adopted in this work, falls in tune with the
that language represents, language users are more perspective defended by some applied linguists
naturally aware of the internal structure of phrases, (Widdowson, 1989; Hymes, 1972) who have argued for
clauses and sentences through syntactic rules than they a view that draws not on only one approach to
are of the internal structure of words through language, but rather on both the formal and functional
morphology. views. Actually, in their meaning carrying function
In their attempt to locate morphology within through language use, words do not just exist the way
the wider field of linguistics, Larsen-Freeman and they are found in speeches and written texts. Rather,
Citation: Datondji Cocou André (2023). A Morphological Analysis of Martin Luther King Jr‘s ―I HAVE A DREAM‖ 42
Speech: a Compositional Semantic Perspective. Sch Int J Linguist Lit, 6(1): 42-50.Datondji Cocou André., Sch Int J Linguist Lit, Jan, 2023; 6(1): 42-50
they are composite constituents, built out of various meaning for the achievement of the social semiotic
minimal semantic and grammatical bits of language. mandate of language.
Yule (2014: 66) identifies such bits of language as the
‗elements in the message‘ technically known in In a predictive manner, this work hypothesises
language science as the morphemes that serve in the that language users continually form and modify the
making up of what is commonly known as the ‗word‘. specific content parts of speech such as nouns, verbs,
A focus on the study of the internal structure of the adjectives and adverbs out of the infinite productivity
word is thus an exploration of the morpheme, through property of language based on the communicative needs
its typology, its many different functions, which is the they are willing to satisfy within specific contexts.
major role devoted to morphology as a sub branch of
linguistics (Yule, 2014; Rafold, 2006:59). The question In its endeavour to accurately answer the
thus springs to the mind on checking for the above phrased queries, to achieve the general and
underpinning rationale related to morphology in the specific objectives and finally test the predicted
architecture of language. hypothesis, this paper runs along four major sections
such as the (1)theoretical framework, (2)the methodology
As far as the architecture of language is of the study, (3)the analysis of the collected data, and
(4)
concerned, various scholars (Haspelmath and Sims, the discussion of the findings.
2010; Crystal, 2008; Bauer, 2012; Booij, 2005; Aronoff
and Kirsten, 2011) suggest in various ways that a 1 - Theoretical framework
rigorous and scientific morphological investigation and The history of the word ―morphology‖
analysis of language requires a thorough clarification of identifies its first uses as the ―the branch of biology that
the irrelevantly and confusing all-inclusive meaning of deals with the form of living organisms and their parts,
the central concept of the ―word‖ construct. Such a and the relationships between their structures‖. The
quest gets satisfied through a definitional approach to word morphology itself is derived from the Greek word
the basic terms of the lexeme, the word-form, the ―morphe‖ meaning ―form‖. In the linguistics arena,
paradigm and the word token. In this perspective, morphology maintains its form based semantics with an
Haspelmath and Sims (2010) describe the LEXEME as a orientation to the way some bits of language [spare
word in the abstract sense, a theoretical construct parts] are assembled to form words. The more
representing the core meaning shared by inflected commonly known definition of morphology as the
forms. The lexeme is thus the abstract unit underlying internal structure of language (Yule, 2010) thus
such sets of grammatical variants as walk, walks, receives attention from scholars in the field in a
walking, walked for the lexeme WALK, or big, bigger, broadening and insight feeding perspective. Carstairs-
biggest for the lexeme BIG. Inflections thus create McCarthy (1993 / 2002) thus posits that morphology is
various forms of the same lexeme, while derivation the area of grammar concerned with the structure of
creates new lexemes. An inflected word is thus viewed words and with relationships between words involving
as a ‗grammatically conditioned variant of the lexeme‘ the morphemes that compose them. A genuine grasp of
whereas a derived word creates a relationship between morphology and the needs it serves in language as a
distinctive lexemes. This insight on the lexeme makes it semiotic system thus covers both its definition as the
possible to better grasp the WORD-FORM as a word in internal structure of words, but also the processes at
its concrete sense, serving as a signifier, in the work within it (Eka, and Rahayu
saussurian perspective. In an analytical way, word-form https://repository.unmul.ac.id/bitstream/handle/1234567
= [lexeme + grammatical meaning]. All the word-forms 89/19755/An%20Introduction%20to%20English%20M
belonging to the same lexeme represent its PARADIGM orphology-Famala.pdf?sequence=1). Morphology
as they express different grammatical functions, but the operates through the morpheme, ―a minimal unit of
same basic/core semantic concept. meaning or grammatical function‖ (Yule, 2010) There
are many different motivations for undertaking
Based on this conceptual clarification, how morphological studies. Haspelmath and Sims (2010)
then do free and bound morphemes combine through identify three of such motivations such as the need for:
derivational and inflectional processes to create new an elegant description as it is the
‗grammatically conditioned variants and new lexemes responsibility of linguists to describe and
respectively? In a more insightful gear and within a analyse the world's languages as correctly and
functional lens, how do these morphemes carry insightfully as possible based on well-framed
meaning both at the word and text levels? rules. For example, specify the way English
words form their plural forms;
Along its scientific route, this research work a cognitively realistic description whereby
seeks to achieve the general objective of shedding light morphologists express the same
on the compositional constitution of the lexical and generalisations about grammatical systems that
grammatical units in text, while foregrounding the way the speakers‘ cognitive apparatus has
these bits of language that are morphemes, impart unconsciously arrived at;
© 2023 | Published by Scholars Middle East Publishers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 43Datondji Cocou André., Sch Int J Linguist Lit, Jan, 2023; 6(1): 42-50
a system-external explanation in the pursuit function of derivational processes is to enable the
of some links between morphological language user to make new lexemes. The rich history of
operations and the realities out there within the the English language through its encounters with other
linguistic community. languages has made it to host anglo-saxon, French,
Greek and Latin lexicographical influences. This has
In addition to these, Eka, and Rahayu (idem) generated derivational prefixes such as un (not), re
stress the usefulness of morphological analysis for the (again), dis (not), in (not), mis (wrong), a (not), fore
creation of a typology of languages for similarities and (before), de (opposite), pre (before), en (within or in),
differences charts designing purposes, and the sub (under, below), inter (between, among), trans
investigation into the nature of linguistic systems for (across, change), con (with), co (together), di (twice),
more insight about the architecture of human language. super (above), semi (half, partly), anti (against), mid
There are two main morphological sub branches in (middle), and derivational suffixes such as er (doer), y
linguistics: inflectional morphology and derivational (characterised by), ful (ful of), ness (quality of), less
morphology. (without), ment (action), hood (state), able/ible (capable
of), en (to become or cause to be). Derivational
1.1 - The sub branches of morphology morphemes operate both with and without a change in
1.1.1. - Inflectional morphology the grammatical class of the base word. On the first
Crystal (2008) defines ‗inflection/inflexion‘ as hand, one can notice cases of adjectives derived from
―a term used in morphology to refer to one of the two nouns (power / powerful) verbs derived from nouns
main categories or processes of word-formation (person / personify), nouns from adjectives (free /
(inflectional morphology), the other being derivational. freedom), verbs from adjectives (fat / fatten), nouns
Inflectional morphology conveys grammatical from verbs (teach / teacher) adverbs from adjectives
information. An inflected word keeps its original (skilful / skilfully), adjectives from verbs (excite /
speech part and basic semantic meaning while excitable). On the other the English language displays
providing some grammatical more specific input for examples of derived words wherein the parts of speech
communication accuracy. The English language remain unaltered. Illustrations show cases of noun to
distinguishes eight common morphological inflections noun (man / manhood), adjective to adjective (accurate
such as plural, third-person singular, present tense, past /inaccurate), verb to verb (cover / discover), adverb to
tense, present participle, past participle, comparative adverb (precisely / imprecisely)
and superlative degree. More specifically, there are four
inflections attached to verbs, ―s‖ for 3rd person 2 - METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY
singular, present tense, ―ing‖ for present participle, ―ed‖ This research work is designed to thoroughly
indicating past tense and ―en‖ for past participle. There investigate the way language users (speakers and
are two inflections attached to adjectives: -er for writers) almost unconsciously assemble inflectional and
comparative and -est marking superlative degree. There derivational morphemes all along the process of
are two inflections attached to nouns, one marking meaning making. The corpus analysed in this paper is
possessive cases and the other marking plural (Yule, an extract from the historic speech ―I have a dream‖
2014; Aronoff, 1994). delivered by Martin Luther King JR the African
American human right activist, on August 28th, 1963,
There are two types of inflections, the regular subsequently to the March on Washington. The need for
and the irregular one. Regular inflection involves accurate and accessible results has made it necessary to
certain conventional affixes to form a new word form combine both qualitative and quantitative methods in
such as « ed » for past tense and « s » for plural. data analysis. The selection of the mixed method
Irregular inflections occur when grammatical adopted in this research work is purposed to achieve
information is added to words in ways that are strictly two goals. On the first hand, quantitative analysis
codified as in the case of irrregular inflections. provides the means for a synoptic and comparative
Illustrative cases ―ate‖ where the infinitive ―to eat‖ is view of the many different variables such as the
inflected for past tense, ―mice‖ where ―mouse‖ is derivational and inflectional components and the
inflected for plural. composite aggregates that are included in each of them.
This makes it possible to pair up and compare such
1.1.2. - Derivational morphology variables. On the second hand, the qualitative
―Derivation‖ is a term used in morphology to perspective of the analysis is instrumental for digging
refer to one of the two main categories or processes of into the collected data and gathered results for
word-formation, the other being inflectional. description and interpretation purposes in order to
―Derivational affixes usually occur closer to the root uncover their meaning and significance.
morpheme than inflections do‖ (Crystal, 2008).
Derivational morphemes include suffixes, such as the - For this purpose, this study has designed keys
ish in ―foolish‖, the -ly in ―quickly‖, and the -ment in for the designation of both inflectional and derivational
―payment‖, and prefixes, such as re-, pre-, ex-, mis-, co- morphology and the many different entries that
, un- (Yule, 2014). As Booij (2005) specifies, the basic compose then throughout the selected corpus. Each
© 2023 | Published by Scholars Middle East Publishers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 44Datondji Cocou André., Sch Int J Linguist Lit, Jan, 2023; 6(1): 42-50
33FL
identified morphological operation has thus been owners_Nb will be able to sit down together at the
labelled and numbered under its specific typology and table of 18DVbrotherhood_N-N. I have a dream that one
subsequently aggregated for the quantitative distinctive day even the state of Mississippi, a state
34FL
and cumulative analyses. The second half of the sweltering_T with the heat of 19DVinjustice_N-N,
35FL
analytical process, the qualitative one, has included the sweltering_T with the heat of 20DVoppression_V-N, will
36FL
explanation of the morphological meaning patterns both be transformed_T into an oasis of 21DVfreedom_Aj-N
22DV
at lexical and overall textual levels. The final major step and justice_Aj-N. I have a dream that my four little
37FL
in the achievement of this paper is the discussion of the children_Nb will one day live in a nation where they
findings which has dealt with the recapitulation of the will not be 38FLjudged_T by the color of their skin but by
mixed method analysis together with the answers to the the content of their character. I have a dream today! I
research questions as well as the crosscheck of the have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with
39FL _PC 23DV
achievement of the research objectives and the its vicious_N-Aj 40FLracists_Nb, with 41FLits_PC
24DV _V-N
hypothesis. governor having his 42FLlips_Nb 43FLdripping_T
44FL
with the words_Nb of 25DV‗‘interposition _V-N ‗‘ and
26DV
3 - Data analysis ‗‘nullification_V-N‘‘-- one day right there in
This section of the work includes Alabama little black 45FLboys_Nb and little black
46FL
morphological features identification, quantitative girls_Nb will be able to join 47FLhands_Nb with little
analysis and qualitative analysis. white 48FLboys_Nb and white 49FLgirls_Nb as 50FLsisters_Nb
and 51FLbrothers_Nb. I have a dream today! I have a
3.1 - Morphological features identification dream that one day every valley shall be 52FLexalted_T,
This part of the work includes the and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the
identification, the labelling and the numbering of both rough 53FLplaces_Nb will be made plain, and the 27DV
derivational and inflectional features in the texts. crooked_N-Aj 54FLplaces_Nb will be made straight; ‗‘and
the glory of the Lord shall be 55FL revealed_T and all
Text 1: I Have a Dream flesh shall see it together.‘‘ This is our hope, and this is
The keys for the identification and analysis of the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith
the morphological linguistic features run as follows: we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a
inflectional morphology = FL, degree = Dg; possessive stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to
28DV
case = PC; tense = T; number = Nb; derivational transform_N-V the 29DVjangling_V-Av 56FLdiscords_Nb
morphology = DV, verb to noun = V-N ; adjective to of our nation into a 30DVbeautiful_N-Aj 31DVsymphony_N-N
noun = Aj-N ; noun to adjective = N-Aj; verb to of 32DVbrotherhood_N-N. With this faith, we will be able
adjective = V-Aj ; noun to adverb = N-Av ; noun to to work together, to pray together, to struggle together,
noun = N-N to go to jail together, to stand up for 33DVfreedom_Aj-N
together, 57FLknowing_T that we will be free one day.
I am happy to join with you today in what will And this will be the day—this will be the day when all
go down in history as the 1FLgreatest_Dg of 58FLGod‘s_PC 59FLchildren_Nb will be able to sing with
1DV
demonstration_V-N for 2DVfreedom_Aj-N in the history new 34DVmeaning_V-N. And if America is to be a great
of our nation. Five score 2FL years_Nb ago, a great nation, this must become true. And so let
3DV
American_N-Aj, in 3FLwhose_PC 5DVsymbolic_N-Aj 35DV
freedom_Aj-N ring from the 36DVprodigious_N-Aj
4FL
shadow we stand today, signed_T the 60FL
hilltops_Nb of New Hampshire. Let 37DVfreedom_Aj-N
6DV _V-N 7DV
Emancipation Proclamation_V-N. This ring from the 38DVmighty 61FLmountains_Nb of New
8DV
momentous_N-Aj decree 5FLcame_T as a great beacon York. Let 39DV
freedom_Aj-N ring from the
light of hope to 6FLmillions_Nb of Negro 7FLslaves_Nb 40DV
heightening _N-Aj 62FL
Alleghenies_Nb of Pennsylvania.
who 8FLhad 9FLbeen 10FLseared_T in the 11FLflames_Nb of Let 41DVfreedom_Aj-N ring from the sow-capped
12FL
withering_V-Aj 9DVinjustice_Aj-N. It 13FLcame_T as a 63FL
Rockies_Nb of Colorado. Let 42DVfreedom_Aj-N ring
10DV
joyous_N-Av daybreak to end the long night of their from the 43DVcurvaceous_N-Aj 64FLslopes_Nb of California.
11DV
captivity_V-N. But one hundred 14FLyears_Nb But not only that. Let 44DVfreedom_Aj-N ring from Stone
15FL
later_Dg, the Negro still 16FLis_T not free. One Mountain of Georgia. Let 45DVfreedom_Aj-N ring from
hundred 17FLyears_Nb 18FLlater_Dg, the life of the Negro is Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let 46DVfreedom_Aj-N
still 12DVsadly 19FLcrippled_T by the 20FLmanacles_Nb of ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From
13DV
segregation_V-N and the 21FL
chains_Nb of every mountainside, let 47DVfreedom_Aj-N ring. And
14DV
discrimination . One hundred 22FLyears_Nb
_V-N
when this 65FLhappens_T and when we allow
23FL
later_Dg, the Negro 24FLlives_Nb on a 15DVlonely_Aj-Av 48DV
freedom_Aj-N ring, when we let it ring from every
island of 16DVpoverty_Aj-N. I have a dream that one day village and every hamlet, from every state and every
this nation will rise up and live out the true city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of
17DV
meaning_V-N of 25FLits_PC creed: ‗‘ We hold these 66FL
God‘s_PC 67FLchildren_Nb, black 68FLmen_Nb and
26FL
truths_Nb to be self-evident, that all 27FLmen_Nb are white 69FLmen_Nb, 70FLJews_Nb and 71FLGentiles_Nb,
28FL
created_T equal.‘‘ I have a dream that one day on the 72FL
Protestants_Nb and 73FLCatholics_Nb, will be able to
red 29FLhills_Nb of Georgia, the 30FLsons_Nb of former join 74FLhands_Nb and sing in the 75FLwords_Nb of the old
31FL
slaves_Nb and the 32FLsons_Nb of former slave
© 2023 | Published by Scholars Middle East Publishers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 45Datondji Cocou André., Sch Int J Linguist Lit, Jan, 2023; 6(1): 42-50
Negro 49DVspiritual_N-Aj: Free at last! Thank God inflectional occurrences. Derivational patterns are made
50DV
Almighty_N-Aj, we are free at last! up of 17 (13.6%) nouns derived from adjectives, 12
(9.6%) nouns from verbs, 13 (10.4%) adjectives from
3.2 - Quantitative analysis nouns, 4 (3.2%) nouns from others nouns, 2 (1.6%)
The quantitative analysis covers the verbs derived from nouns and 2 (1.6%) adverbs derived
morphological patterns identified in the selected text. from verbs. As far as graphological inflectional features
Actually, the identified patterns include exclusively the are concerned, they display 16 (12.8%) instances for
derivational word forms and the inflectional features tense, 47 (37.6%) for number indicating plurality, 5
that have resulted in some graphological changes in the (4%) for degree and 7 (5.6%) for possessive cases as
base words (lexemes). The text displays a total number summarised in Table 1 and schematised in Figure 1 and
of 125 morphological applications with 50 (40%) Figure 2.
instances of derivational occurrences and 75 (60%)
Table 1: Morphological operations
Morphological patterns Number Rate (%)
Derivations Adjective to noun 17 13.6
Verb to noun 12 9.6
Noun to adjective 13 10.4
Noun to noun 4 3.2
Noun to verb 2 1.6
Verb to adverb 2 1.6
Total 1 50 40
Inflections Tense 16 12.8
Number 47 37.6
Degree 5 4
Possessive case 7 5.6
Total 2 75 60
Total 1 + Total 2 125 100%
Figure 1: Inflectional morphology
Figure 2: Derivational morphology
© 2023 | Published by Scholars Middle East Publishers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 46Datondji Cocou André., Sch Int J Linguist Lit, Jan, 2023; 6(1): 42-50
3.3 - Qualitative analysis In a likely manner, the predominant use of
This part of the data analysis provides an plurality inflectional morphemes with 47 occurrences
opportunity for giving more interpretative insight on the out of 75 total number of inflections shows clearly well
specific bound derivational and inflectional morphemes this focus directed to the largest unnamed people
used in the selected text through the way they are suffering the same fate. As an illustration of his large
applied to the base words and through their semantic thinking perspective (Vygotsky, 1987), he uses the ―s‖
contributions in meaning construction impartation. regular and ―en‖ irregular plural inflectional
morphemes (Yule, 2014) in 2FLyears_Nb, 6FLmillions_Nb,
7FL
Indeed, a thorough read and search for slaves_Nb, 40FL
racists_Nb, 20FL
manacles_Nb,
21FL _Nb 24FL _Nb
meaning in the text shows that derivations that cause chains , lives to illustrate the extent of the
word class changes from Adjective to noun on the first sufferings of the Black community and in 32FLsons_Nb,
49FL
hand and from verbs to nouns on the second hand rank girls_Nb, 59FLchildren_Nb, 50FLsisters_Nb, 11FLflames_Nb,
26FL
first and second with 17 [13.6%] and 12 [9.6%] truths_Nb, 29FL
hills_Nb, 72FL
Protestants_Nb,
73FL _Nb 71FL _Nb
occurrences respectively. This process which is one of Catholics , Gentiles where he
nominalisation displays a move on the register morphologically represents how wide he very
continuum (Matthiessen, 1993b) between a most optimistically foreshadows the magnitude of the delight
spoken face to face register to a most written one to come.
(Carter and McCarthy, 1995). This move shows the use
of language in a reflective and abstract pattern, as the The use of tense marking morphemes is
text is phrased for an anonymous audience. MLK_Jr significant enough in the way MLK Jr combines them
was rather communicating with the whole community with base verbs to convey meaning. In its qualitative
of the despoiled African American people. This is analytical perspective, this study identifies the use of
shown through the use of derivational morphemes such inflectional morphemes for a threefold tense
as ―ity‖, ―ice‖, ―ation‖, ―tion‖, ―or‖, ―dom‖, in progression from the past tense (simple past and past
11DV
captivity_V-N, 9DVinjustice_Aj-N, 13DVsegregation_V-N, perfect) to the simple present and then to the future.
14DV
discrimination_V-N, 16DV
poverty_Aj-N, Actually, MLK Jr uses the ―ed‖ regular past tense
20DV
oppression_V-N, 26DV
‗‘nullification_V-N‘‘, inflectional morpheme as in 4FLsigned_T and
25DV
‗‘interposition_V-N, 24DV governor_V-N where MLK_Jr 10FL
seared_T and the irregular past tense morpheme as in
13FL
shows the fate of the Black community on the one hand came_T 8FL and had 9FLbeen_T to refer to some
and nominalisations such as 1DVdemonstration_V-N, conclusive results of the Black American community in
2DV
freedom_Aj-N, 6DV
emancipation_V-N, the past years, but which were still to deliver the
7DV _V-N 22DV _Aj-N
proclamation , justice where he expresses expected results. The following extracts display a few
the hope for a better future. It is noteworthy to point out such examples.
the outstanding lexical density (Eggins, 2004) of f) ....a great American ….4FLsigned_T the
―freedom‖ [free_dom] which has been used 16 times in Emancipation Proclamation
the text in this morphological process whereas the word g) This momentous decree 5FLcame_T as a great
form ―injustice‖ [unjust_injustice] was used only twice. beacon light of hope ……
This semantic and morphological remarkable imbalance h) It 13FLcame_T as a joyous daybreak
indicates that MLK_Jr had definitely set the gear not to
remain immobile with lamentations on the past but The absence of such results is expressed by
rather to hope and diligently work for a better and means of a connexion between those achievements of
brighter future for the largest number. The use of the past and the unchanged state of affairs in the
derivational morphemes such as ―ic‖ in 5DVsymbolic_N- present. This is achieved through the use of the
Aj
, ―ous‖ in 8DVmomentous_N-Aj, the present participle irregular simple present inflectional morpheme in
gerund ending ―ing‖ in 40DVheightening_N-Aj were used 16FL _T
is and 19FL is_T on the one hand, and through the
to form adjectives from nouns as a way of building new regular singular third person simple present morpheme
lexical devices for the description of the plagues of the ―s‖ in 24FLlives_Nb. The following extracts from the text
Black community on the one hand, and the brightness are illustrative at this regard.
of the expected better future life. The following i) ……. the Negro still 16FLis_T not free.
numbered extracts from the text are illustrative. j) ……..the life of the Negro 19FL is still sadly
a) ……a great 3DVAmerican_N-Aj, in whose crippled
5DV
symbolic_N-Aj shadow we stand today k) One hundred years later, the Negro 24FLlives_Nb
b) This 8DVmomentous_N-Aj decree came on a lonely island of poverty
c) ……one day, down in Alabama, with its 23DV
vicious_N-Aj racists The third tense move is that of a passive future
d) ……let freedom ring from the through the auxiliaries ―will‖ and ―shall‖, with the ―ed‖
36DV
prodigious_N-Aj hilltops of New Hampshire regular inflectional morphemes used for the past
e) Let freedom ring from the 40DVheightening_N-Aj participle verbal forms as in the following extracts.
Alleghenies of Pennsylvania l) the heat of oppression, will be
36FL
transformed_T into an oasis of freedom
© 2023 | Published by Scholars Middle East Publishers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 47Datondji Cocou André., Sch Int J Linguist Lit, Jan, 2023; 6(1): 42-50
m) …..they will not be 38FLjudged_T by the color significance of this paper through the interpretation of
of their skin the findings that embed the answers to the research
n) …..one day every valley shall be 52FLexalted_T questions as well as the crosscheck of the predicted
o) ….. the glory of the Lord shall be 55FL hypothesis.
revealed_T
As presented through the quantitative analysis,
Discussion of the findings inflectional operations take the greatest part in the
This discussion section of the research work is analysed corpus with 60% against 40% for derivational
purposed to explore the underlying meaning that is the processes as illustrated in the pie chart in Figure 3.
Figure 3: inflections and derivations proportions
Most importantly nominalisation takes the lead the speaker to target the general anonymous largest
of the derived words with a whole bunch of a number of the black community as pinpointed in the
cumulative rate of 26% out of the total rate of 40% for aforementioned nominalisation process. Apart from the
derivations. This outstanding morphological process plurality inflection, the speaker, consciously or
makes a shift from individual participants to the general unconsciously designed a tense flow in three successive
Black American community as one can perceive moves through the past tense (simple past and past
through Martin Luther King Jr‘s speech. This gives an perfect), the simple present and the future by means of
abstract written feature to the linguistic production both regular and irregular bound morphemes. This
although it was delivered live in the presence of a large descriptive summary on the way MLK Jr conveyed
audience. The mostly encountered derivations are those meaning by means of morphological derivational and
related to nouns obtained from adjectives inflectional processes provide satisfactory answers to
[2DVfree_freedom_Aj-N, 16DV
poor_poverty_Aj-N, both research questions, as well as it shows an
19DV _N-N 22DV
unjust_injustice just_justice_Aj-N], from achievement of the goals of this study and proves the
13DV
verbs [ segragate_segregation_V-N, hypothesis true.
26DV _V-N 7DV
nullify_nullification ,
proclaim_proclamation_V-N, 24DVgovern_governor_V-N] As far as the first question is concerned, this
and from other nouns [brother_18DVbrotherhood_N-N, research work is highly significant for language users in
19DV
justice_injustice_N-N]. The use of derivational general and most specifically for the learners of English
morphemes such as ―ic‖, ―ous‖, ―ing‖ allowed a speech as a foreign language. Actually, the explanatory
part shift from nouns to adjectives such as theoretical framework, the identification of the
5DV
symbolic_N-Aj, 8DVmomentous_N-Aj, 23DVvicious_N-Aj, derivational and inflectional processes awakens the
36DV
prodigious_N-Aj, 40DVheightening_N-Aj whereby the awareness on the compositional pattern whereby
speaker set imagery and descriptive style on the ills of language functions to convey meaning. This very aspect
the African American community, as well as on their presents the learning of a foreign language in a more
expected brighter future. easily approachable perspective as it shows how words
are formed from smaller morphemic parts. As a matter
On the inflectional part of the whole of fact, the identification of the applied morphological
morphological process, the plurality indicating regular processes shows the way free and bound morphemes
and irregular morphemes that have been joined to noun combine through derivational and inflectional processes
lexemes as in 72FLProtestants_Nb, 73FLCatholics_Nb, to create new ‗grammatically conditioned variants and
71FL
Gentiles_Nb, 2FL years_Nb, 6FLmillions_Nb, 7FLslaves_Nb new lexemes respectively. Tackling the second research
all work together to maintain and confirm the desire of question related to the manner whereby these
© 2023 | Published by Scholars Middle East Publishers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 48Datondji Cocou André., Sch Int J Linguist Lit, Jan, 2023; 6(1): 42-50
morphemes carry meaning both at the word and text process got satisfactorily answered together with the
levels, the identification of such morphemes and the confirmation of the predicted hypothesis.
explanatory interpretation of their meaning imparting
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