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Simple stems are semantically non-motivated and do not
constitute a pattern on analogy with which new stems may be
modeled (e.g. pocket, motion, receive, etc.). Simple stems are
generally monomorphic and phonetically identical with the root
morphemes (sell, grow, kink, etc.).
Derived stems are built on stems of various structures, they
are motivated, i.e. derived stems are understood on the basis of the
derivative relations between their immediate constituents and the
correlated stems. Derived stems are mostly polymorphic (e.g.
governments, unbelievable, etc.).
Compound stems are made up of two immediate
constituents, both of which are themselves stems, e.g. match-box,
pen-holder, ex-film-star, etc. It is built by joining two stems, one
of which is simple, the other is derived.
The derivational types of words are classified according to
the structure of their stems into simple, derived and compound
words. Derived words are those composed of one root-morpheme
and one or more derivational morphemes. Compound words have
at least two root-morphemes, the number of derivational
morphemes being insignificant.
The morpheme, and therefore the affix, which is a type of
morpheme, is generally defined as the smallest indivisible
component of the word possessing a meaning of its own. Meanings
of affixes are specific and considerably differ from those of root
morphemes. Affixes have widely generalized meanings and refer
the concept conveyed by the whole word to a certain category,
which is all-embracing. So, the noun-forming suffix -er could be
roughly defined as designating persons from the object of their
occupation or labor (painter – the one who paints) or from their
place of origin (southerner – the one living in the South). The
adjective-forming suffix –ful has the meaning of "characterized
by" (beautiful, careful)
The semantic distinctions of words produced from the same
root by means of different affixes are also of considerable interest,

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