Immediate constituents

Immediate constituents

 * Immediate Constituent Analysis (IC analysis) was introduced by Leonard Bloomfield (1933)

 

 *The concept of immediate constituents (IC's) is important both in morphology and syntax. 

The method of ICs is based on the fact that a word is characterized by morphological divisibility.

The main opposition dealt with is the opposition of stem and affix. 

Example of immediate constituents

                    1. un- / gentlemanly

                    2. un- / gentleman / - ly

                    3. un- / gentle / - man / - ly

                    4. un- / gentl / - e / - man / - ly

 

 un- + {[{gent- + -le) + -man] + -ly}   

As we break the word we obtain at any level only two IC’s, one of which is the stem of the given word.

The main requirement is : the analysis must reveal patterns observed in other words of the same language

  This analysis on the word-formation level  shows:

 

*  The morphemic constituents of the word

*  the structural pattern on  which it is built.

*  Morphemic analysis under the method of  Ultimate  Constituents  may  be

carried out on the basis of two principles:  the  so-called  root-principle

and affix principle.