Question

which phrase best describes a characteristic of an affix? (1 point) added to a base or root the smallest meaningful unit in a language has meaning on its own gives a word its principal meaning

Explanation:

To determine the correct answer, we analyze each option:

• "added to a base or root": Affixes (prefixes, suffixes, etc.) are morphemes that are added to a base or root word to modify its meaning, which matches the definition of an affix.
• "the smallest meaningful unit in a language": This describes a morpheme in general, but not specifically an affix (free morphemes can stand alone, affixes are bound).
• "has meaning on its own": Affixes are bound morphemes and do not have meaning on their own; they need to be attached to a base/root.
• "gives a word its principal meaning": The base or root word gives the principal meaning, not the affix.

Answer:

A. added to a base or root