Spanish Morphology
Code: 100586 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish and Chinese Studies: Language, Literature and Culture | OB | 2 |
| English and Spanish Studies | OB | 3 |
| Catalan and Spanish Studies | OB | 2 |
Contact
- Name:
- Cristina Buenafuentes de la Mata
- Email:
- cristina.buenafuentes@uab.cat
Teachers
- Matthias Ulrich Raab
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
It is recommended that the student has previously attended the subject "Spanish Language: Unity and Diversity".
By obtaining the minimum of credits in basic training subjects, students have demonstrated to have acquired the basic competences and they will be able to express themselves orally and in writing.
For this reason, any spelling and expression errors that may be committed will lead to a score decrease in the final grade.
It is also expected that students know the general rules of submission of an academic work. However, students could apply the specific rules that the teacher of the subject may indicate to them, if they deem it necessary.
Objectives and Contextualisation
The subject of "Morphology of Spanish" has as its fundamental objective to offer a general vision of the study of words.
At the end of the course, the student must be able to:
- Know the different units of analysis used in morphology.
- Identify the constituents of a word and the levels in which they operate.
- Master the aspects related to inflection and its implications.
- Recognize the word formation processes and their characteristics.
- Understand the peculiarities of the main word classes.
Competences
- Spanish and Chinese Studies: Language, Literature and Culture
- Analyse the phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic, lexical and semantic properties of the Spanish language and the Mandarin Chinese language.
- Describe the linguistic foundations on which the standards of Spanish and mandarin Chinese are based.
- Make changes to methods and processes in the area of knowledge in order to provide innovative responses to society's needs and demands.
- Recognise the factors of linguistic variation in Spanish from diachronic and synchronic viewpoints.
- Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
- Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
- Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
- Use techniques for compilation, organisation and use of information and documentation with precision.
- English and Spanish Studies
- Analyse the main phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic, lexical and semantic properties of the English and Spanish languages, their evolution throughout history and their current structure.
- Demonstrate skills for professional development in the fields of linguistic applications, teaching, and literary and cultural management in English and Spanish.
- Catalan and Spanish Studies
- Analyse the main phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic, lexical and semantic properties of the Catalan and Spanish languages, their historical evolution and their current structure.
Learning Outcomes
- Analyse linguistic structures in Spanish.
- Analyse the relations between vocabulary and grammar.
- Analyse the structure of words from a morphological point of view.
- Apply techniques of description and analysis of discursive pieces.
- Carry out predictions and inferences abut the content of a text.
- Construct texts according to the established rules.
- Correctly identify linguistic units.
- Describe the process of creating combinatorial linguistic units.
- find out the meaning of unknown words in a text.
- Identify errors of rules, style or argument in a text.
- Identify situations in which a change or improvement is needed.
- Identify the constituents of a word and the levels at which they operate.
- Identify the pragmatic factors affecting the use of different linguistic structures.
- Interpret the word from the different levels of linguistic analysis.
- Justify by means of appropriate terminology the analysis of data from a linguistic point of view.
- Summarise the characteristics of a written text in accordance with its communicative functions.
- Use digital tools for collecting, classifying, interpreting and analysing relevant data.
- Use the adequate terminology in the construction of an academic text.
- Use the necessary resources, both digital and non-digital (data bases, text repositories, dictionaries, reference works), for the analysis of any document, spoken or written, from a linguistic point of view.
Content
Lesson 1. The morphology: Units of analysis
Lesson 2.- Inflectional Morphology
Lesson 3.- Word Formation
Lesson 4.- Main Word Classes: nouns, adjectives and verbs
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Master classes, seminars and practical sessions | 55.5 | 2.22 | 1, 2, 3, 8, 7, 12, 13, 14, 15 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Programmed tutorials | 15 | 0.6 | 6, 18, 17, 10, 11, 15, 5, 16, 19 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Autonomous activity | 75 | 3 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 18, 17, 7, 12, 13, 11, 9, 14, 15, 19 |
In order to achieve the aforementioned objectives, theoretical explanations will be combined by the teacher with the practical realization of exercises in the classroom and comments on the compulsory readings.
The learning of this subject is distributed as follows:
- Directed activities (35%, 55,5 hours). These activities are divided into master classes and seminars and classroom practices led by the teacher, in which theoretical explanation is combined with performance of exercises.
- Supervised activities (10%, 15 hours). These tutorials are programmed by the teacher, dedicated to correcting and commenting on problems at different levels of literary analysis.
- Autonomous activities (50%, 75 hours). These activities include both time devoted to individual study as well as performance of exercises and reading of the mandatory bibliography.
- Evaluation activities. The evaluation of the subject will be carried out through written tests and practical activities.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical evaluation activity | 40% | 1.5 | 0.06 | 6, 8, 18, 7, 10, 13, 11, 9, 15, 5 |
| Theoretical and practical test | 40% | 1.5 | 0.06 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 18, 12, 9, 14 |
| Theoretical test | 20% | 1.5 | 0.06 | 17, 16, 19 |
The faculty will evaluate this subject on an ongoing basis (except for students who choose single assessment).
The evaluation of the subject will be carried out, therefore, starting from the realization of three activities / tests in which the following aspects will be evaluated:
- The assimilation of theoretical contents;
- the practical application of the contents;
- the adaptation to the requirements of the activity in question
The three activities/tests to be carried out are the following:
- 1 theoretical and practical test for topic 1 (40%)
- 1 theoretical test for topics 2 and 3 (20%)
- 1 practical evaluation activity for topics 3 and 4 (40%)
The final grade, once all the notes have been added and the percentages indicated above applied, must be equal to or greater than 5.
The completion of spelling, expression, lexicon and syntax will have a penalty of 0.25 each, without limit, on the final grade in the activities and exams. Repeated faults also discount.
In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary processthat may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.
This subject entirely prohibits the use of AI technologies in all of its activities. Any submitted work that contains content generated using AI will be considered academic dishonesty; the corresponding grade will be awarded a zero, without the possibility of reassessment. In cases of greater infringement, more serious action may be taken.
The first day of class will be informed of the dates of each test/activity and this information will be available in the Moodle classroom from the beginning of the course. Erasmus students who request to advance an exam will have to present to the teacher a written document from their home university justifying their request.
Not assessed/not submitted
Students will obtain a Not assessed/Not submitted course grade unless they have submitted more than 30% of the assessment items.
Re-assessment
All evaluation activities are recoverable. However, the student will lose the right toreassess if the averageof the tests performed with the corresponding percentage isless than 3.5 points. If the student has the right to reassessment, he can only reassess at most two tests.
Review procedure
On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.
Single assessment
Students who take the single assessment will have to carry out the following activities:
- 1 theoretical test corresponding to the four topics of the subject (40%).
- 1 practical test corresponding to the four topics of the subject (40%).
- 1 work consisting of the elaboration of a morphological column (20%).
Students must complete and hand in the activities on the established date within the assigned period. The teacher will indicate the exact date through Moodle.
The same assessment method as continuous assessment will be used.
Bibliography
The professor will indicate during the course the mandatory and recommended readings for each item of the agenda.
BASIC BIBLIOGRAPHY
BUENAFUENTES, Cristina and RAAB, Matthias (2018): La morfología léxica a la luz de la variación. Monograph of ELiEs. Estudios de Lingüística del Español. Avaiable on https://bop.unibe.ch/elies/issue/view/1178
ADELSTEIN, Andreína and Nercesian, Verónica (2021): "Las palabras: léxico y morfología", in Guimar Elena Ciapuscio and Andreína Adelstein (coords): La lingüística. Una introducción a sus principales preguntas. Buenos Aires: Eudeba, pp. 189-224.
ALCOBA, Santiago (1999): "La flexión verbal", in Ignacio Bosque and Violeta Demonte (eds.), Gramática descriptiva de la lengua española. Vol. 3, Madrid: Espasa Calpe, pp. 4915-4991
ALMELA, Ramón (1999): Procedimientos de formación de palabras en español. Barcelona: Ariel.
BOSQUE, Ignacio (1983): "La morfología", in Francisco Abad and Antonio García Berrio (eds.), Introducción a la lingüística. Madrid: Alhambra, pp. 115-153.
BOSQUE, Ignacio (2015): Las categorías gramaticales. Relaciones y diferencias. Madrid: Síntesis, 2.ª ed.
BOSQUE, Ignacio and DEMONTE, Violeta (eds.) (1999): Gramática descriptiva de la lengua española. Vol 3. Madrid: Espasa.
CAPPELLARO, Chiara and MEINSCHAEFER, Judith (2022): "Inflexion, derivation and compounding", in Adam Ledgeway and Martin Maiden (eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Romance Linguistics. Cambridge: CUP, pp. 400-433.
CAMUS, Bruno (2022): La formación de palabras. Madrid: Arco/Libros.
FÁBREGAS, Antonio (2013): La morfología. El análisis de la palabra compleja. Madrid: Síntesis. Avaiable in e-book.
FÁBREGAS, Antonio (2024): Diccionario de afijos del español contemporáneo. New York: Routledge.
FÁBREGAS, Antonio; ACEDO, Víctor; AMSTRONG, Grant; CUERVO, M. Cristina and PUJOL, Isabel (Eds.) (2021): The Routledge Handbook of Spanish Morphology. London: Routledge. Avaiable in e-book.
FELÍU, Elena (2009): “Palabras con estructura interna”, in Elena de Miguel (ed.), Panorama de la lexicología. Barcelona: Ariel, pp. 51-81.
GARCÍA MEDALL, Joaquín (2019): "La morfología derivativa del español", in Ridruejo, E. (ed.), Manual delingüística española. Berlín-Boston: De Gruyter, pp. 402-431. Avaiable in e-book.
GARCÍA-PAGE, Mario (2006): Cuestiones de morfologia española, 3ª ed. Madrid: Centro de Estudios Ramón Areces.
GUTIÉRREZ-REXACH, Javier (ed.) (2016): Enciclopedia de lingüística hispánica. Vol 1. London: Routledge. Avaiable in e-book.
LIEBER, Rochelle (2021): The Oxford Encyclopedia of Morphology. Oxford: OUP.
MÜLLER, Peter O.; OHNHEISER, Ingeborg; OLSEN, Susan; and RAINER, Franz (2016): Word-Formation. An International Handbook of the Languages of Europe. Berlín: de Gruyter Mouton, 5 vols. Avaiable in e-book.
PENA, Jesús (1991): “La palabra: estructura y procesos morfológicos”, Verba, 18, pp. 69-118. Avaiable on https://minerva.usc.es/xmlui/handle/10347/3151
PHARIES, David (2002): Diccionario etimológico de los sufijos españoles (y de otros elementos finales). Madrid: Gredos.
PHARIES, David and FISCHER-DORANTES, Erica (2024): Diccionario etimológico e histórico de los prefijos de la lengua española. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter.
REAL ACADEMIA ESPAÑOLA and ASALE (2009): Nueva gramática de la lengua española. Vol 1. Madrid: Espasa. Avaiable on http://aplica.rae.es/grweb/cgi-bin/buscar.cgi
REAL ACADEMIA ESPAÑOLA and ASALE (2019): Glosario de Términos Gramaticales. Salamanca: Universidad de Salamanca.
REAL ACADEMIA ESPAÑOLA and ASALE (2025): Nueva gramática de la lengua española. Vol 1. 2.ª edición revisada y actualizada. Madrid: Espasa.
VARELA, Soledad (2009): Morfología léxica: La formación de palabras. Madrid: Gredos. Avaiable on https://morforetem.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/formacic3b3n-de-palabras.pdf
VARELA, Soledad (1990): Fundamentos de morfología. Madrid: Síntesis. Avaiable in e-book.
Software
In this course it is not necessary to use specific computer programs.
Groups and Languages
Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 1 | Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 2 | Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (TE) Theory | 1 | Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (TE) Theory | 2 | Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |