Stem
From Teflpedia
The stem (/stem/) of a word is the basic form to which prefixes and suffixes can be added. It differs from the root in that the latter is a morpheme, but not necessarily a word in itself.
- Verbs: the stem talk can become talks, talked, talking, talker, talkative, talkativeness;
- Adjectives: tight can become tighten, tightening, tightened, tightly, tightness, untightened, retighten; happy can become unhappy, happily, happiness;
- Note the acronym STEM in education means "science, technology, engineering and mathematics".
