What does morphology indicate about words?

Morphology is the branch of linguistics that studies the structure and formation of words. It involves analyzing how words are built from smaller units known as morphemes, which are the smallest meaningful units of language. This discipline helps in understanding how prefixes, suffixes, and roots combine to form complex words and how these components contribute to their meanings.

By studying morphology, one can see how different word forms relate to each other and how word structures can change in different contexts, such as tense or plurality. This understanding is fundamental in linguistics and language learning, as it enhances vocabulary acquisition and comprehension.

The other options focus on different aspects of language and linguistics that do not pertain to the construction of words. Memorable vocabulary techniques relate more to learning strategies than to the structural aspects of words. The relationships between languages fall under comparative linguistics, studying similarities and differences between languages rather than word structure within a single language. Lastly, rhythm and intonation are aspects of phonetics and phonology, which focus on sound patterns and pronunciation rather than word formation.