affixeseither

Affixeseither is a linguistic term used to describe a morpheme that can attach to a word either as a prefix or as a suffix while conveying the same grammatical function. In languages exhibiting affixeseither, the position of the affix is not fixed, and the form remains (or nearly remains) constant across left- and right-attachment.

Description and scope

Affixeseither is discussed as a typological and theoretical phenomenon rather than a widely attested, uniform category. It contrasts with fixed affixation (where a morpheme must appear only as a prefix or only as a suffix) and with circumfixes, which require a paired element on both sides in a set order. The phenomenon may involve markers for tense, mood, aspect, case, number, or other grammatical categories, and can arise from historical reanalysis, diachronic parallel development, or productive symmetry in word formation.

Morphology and phonology

In languages with affixeseither, a single morpheme may appear in either position without changing meaning. Surface realizations may be identical in both positions or show minor allomorphic variation conditioned by position or phonology. The concept highlights how word formation can display positional flexibility, reflecting underlying morphological structure and prosodic constraints.

Illustrative example

In a hypothetical language, the past-tense marker "pa-" can attach before a verb root (pa-luk) or after it (luk-pa) to express past tense, with the same grammatical effect. This illustrates affixeseither as a single token functioning in dual positional attachment.

Relation to other concepts

Affixeseither is related to prefixes, suffixes, clitics, and circumfixes, and is discussed within morphology and typology as a way to account for flexible attachment patterns and symmetric word-formation processes.