Definition of the meaning of morphemes belongs properly to the lexicon, but in the grammatical description of a language there is a certain amount of meaning indicated by the process of labeling morphemes. In the actual analysis of a language we first identify the morphemes, and then label them. This is to enable us to refer to them quickly and accurately. The labeling can be done in a number of different ways, but there are three principal methods: (1) by applying descriptive names, (2) by identifying the form, and (3) by using arbitrary symbols.
- Nida (1949), a pag.165