stem, root, and base

[bmo]

a word may be made of prefix + (stem, root or base), + suffix.
Are stem, root and base all the same?

thanks.

[Rusty]

a word may be made of prefix + (stem, root or base), + suffix.
Are stem, root and base all the same?

(In reference to the elements of a word, I believe stem, root and base are all the same).

[bmo]

thanks.

[bmo]

the word underling. if under is the prefix, and ling is the suffix, where is the root? thanks.

[Pete]

the word underling. if under is the prefix, and ling is the suffix, where is the root? thanks.
Here, "under", an adverb, is the root, and "ling" is the suffix, which turns it into a noun. Examples with a verb as the root are more common:
- foundling
- changeling

[bmo]

thanks, Pete, you are saying a word may made up of root only without affixes, but not vice versa. right?

underestimate, undergarment, undersecretary, ... what does under play here? (Not prefix?)

thanks again.

[Pete]

thanks, Pete, you are saying a word may made up of root only without affixes, but not vice versa. right?

underestimate, undergarment, undersecretary, ... what does under play here? (Not prefix?)

thanks again.
Actually I had not not tried to generalize my reply to your specific question, but in fact, I think that you are right. Certainly many words are simple root words without prefixes or suffixes. I can't think of any words that don't have a root; I'm not sure that the concept of a prefix or suffix without a root to be attached to would fit any accepted definition of prefix or suffix. (This is just my thought on the question; I did not find an authoritative exposition anywhere to back up my conclusion.)

I'd say that "under" is a prefix in your three examples above.

Certainly, the word "under" is a root when it stands alone as a word. It is common for the same set of letters in English to have different uses in different contexts.

[bmo]

thanks again, Pete, this is very interesting. I think that is the only explanation the word "under" plays many roles in different word constructions.