Morphology and Syntax

Morphology and syntax are two core subfields of linguistics that together form the basis of a language's grammar. Morphology is the study of the internal structure of words, analyzing how they are formed from smaller meaningful units called morphemes, such as prefixes, suffixes, and roots. Syntax, in contrast, examines the rules and principles that govern how these words are combined and arranged to form grammatical phrases, clauses, and sentences. In essence, while morphology provides the building blocks of language by explaining how words are constructed, syntax provides the architectural blueprint for assembling those blocks into coherent and complex expressions.

1. Foundational Concepts
   1. Grammar as a System of Rules
      1. Definition of Grammar
      2. Components of Grammar
         1. Phonology
         2. Morphology
         3. Syntax
         4. Semantics
         5. Pragmatics
      3. Rule-Based Nature of Language
      4. Universality of Grammar
      5. Grammar vs. Usage
   2. Prescriptive vs. Descriptive Grammar
      1. Prescriptive Grammar
         1. Definition and Characteristics
         2. Historical Development
         3. Social Functions
         4. Educational Roles
         5. Limitations and Criticisms
      2. Descriptive Grammar
         1. Definition and Characteristics
         2. Scientific Approach
         3. Linguistic Analysis Methods
         4. Corpus-Based Studies
      3. Comparison and Implications
         1. Methodological Differences
         2. Goals and Purposes
         3. Applications in Linguistics
   3. Competence vs. Performance
      1. Linguistic Competence
         1. Definition and Properties
         2. Mental Grammar
         3. Idealized Knowledge
         4. Universal Aspects
      2. Linguistic Performance
         1. Definition and Properties
         2. Factors Affecting Performance
            1. Memory Limitations
            2. Processing Constraints
            3. Social Context
            4. Emotional State
         3. Performance Errors
      3. Distinction and Relevance
         1. Theoretical Implications
         2. Methodological Considerations
   4. The Lexicon
      1. Definition and Role
      2. Structure of Lexical Entries
         1. Phonological Information
         2. Morphological Information
         3. Syntactic Information
         4. Semantic Information
         5. Pragmatic Information
      3. Mental Lexicon
         1. Organization Principles
         2. Access and Retrieval
         3. Storage Models
      4. Lexicon-Grammar Interface
   5. The Distinction Between Morphology and Syntax
      1. Definition of Morphology
      2. Definition of Syntax
      3. Boundaries and Overlap
      4. Examples Illustrating the Distinction
      5. Cross-Linguistic Variation in Boundaries