Stem

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".

See also

• Etymology
• History of the English languages

References

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