The Arabic Origins of Derivational Morphemes in English, German, and French: A Lexical Root Theory Approach

Abstract

This paper investigates the genetic relationship between derivational affixes or morphemes like ensure, whiten, opinion, activity in Arabic and English mainly as well as German, French, and Latin. Applying the lexical root theory as a theoretical framework, it shows, unlike traditional claims in comparative historical linguistics that Arabic and English, for example, are members of different language families, how such morphemes are related to and derived from one another, where Arabic may be their end origin. More precisely, a-, e-, n-, m-, t-, be-, and s-based affixes are found in all the above languages to be identical cognates with the same or similar forms and

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