Microsoft Word - 7314.docx 2811 Copyright © 2024 The Author IDEAS is licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0 License Issued by English study program of IAIN Palopo IDEAS Journal of Language Teaching and Learning, Linguistics and Literature ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) Volume 13, Number 1, June 2025 pp. 2811 - 2831 Morphological Analysis of Derivational and Inflectional Affixes from Meghan Trainor’s Selected Song Nanda Rizka istama1, Nargis2, Eka Ugi Sutikno3 1,2,3 Universitas Muhammadiyah Tangerang Corresponding E-Mail: nandarizka.istama@umt.ac.id Received: 2025-06-28 Accepted: 2025-07-08 DOI: 10.24256/ideas.v13i1.7314 Abstract This study investigates the use of derivational and inflectional affixes in selected songs by Meghan Trainor. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, the study analyzes 10 of Trainor’s songs to identify and classify affixes based on their morphological functions. The results show that inflectional affixes dominate the lyrics, with a total of 77 occurrences compared to 27 derivational affixes. This indicates that the lyrics frequently feature inflectional affixes to convey grammatical functions such as tenses, plurality, and comparison. This finding may suggest a tendency in similar English pop lyrics tend to use inflectional affixes to maintain grammatical structure while supporting rhythmic flow. Keywords: Affixes; Derivational; Inflectional; Morphology; Songs Nanda Rizka istama, Nargis, Eka Ugi Sutikno Morphological Analysis of Derivational and Inflectional Affixes from Meghan Trainor’s Selected Song 2812 Introduction Morphology is a branch of linguistics that studies the internal structure of words and how they are formed from smaller units called morphemes. The smallest unit in English linguistics which form a word is morpheme (Maulidina et al., 2019). There are two main types of morphemes: free morphemes, which can stand alone as words, and bound morphemes, which cannot stand alone and usually function as affixes. Bound morphemes, which can be categorized into prefixes, infixes, and suffixes. Affixes, bound morphemes, function by attaching to free morphemes in the process of word formation. According to Kusumawardhani (2020), “Affixation is a morphological process which is supposed to change a root or base word to form a new word” (p.9). In this process, affixes serve two main functions: inflectional and derivational (Handoko, 2019). Derivational affixes form new words and often change the meaning or grammatical category of the base word (Efransyah, 2019). While inflectional affixes do not alter the word class but rather indicate grammatical aspects such as tense, number, or possession(Wulandari et al., 2023). Affixes may appear at the beginning (prefixes), in the middle (infixes), or at the end (suffixes) of words (Katamba, 2006). In English, prefixes and suffixes are common, while infixes are rarely used. Meghan Trainor is one of the most influential and successful pop singer songwriters of the last decade. Her widespread popularity means that her lyrics have significant reach and influence on global audiences, making her an ideal subject for analyzing linguistic trends in pop music. Trainor's writing style is known for its informal and conversational use of language. The use of conversational language makes her songs memorable and easy to understand, while also offering valuable material for linguistic analysis, especially in relation to how words are formed and modified. Trainor frequently employs affixes in creative and meaningful ways. These morphological elements help shape the tone and message of her lyrics, contributing to their simplicity and expressive power. Analyzing the use of affixes in her songs can reveal how she constructs meaning and reinforces her messages through morphological choices. Her lyrics serve as rich data for exploring how bound morphemes are used to modify, extend, and create new words in contemporary English pop music. Meghan Trainor achieved global success following the release of her debut song “All About That Bass” in 2014, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 and earned her several Grammy Award nominations (Lindsay, 2014). Beyond her commercial success, Trainor is widely recognized for her impactful lyrics that address themes such as body positivity, female empowerment, and social critique. These characteristics make her a highly relevant subject for linguistic analysis, as her lyrics represent more than just entertainment; they also reflect contemporary cultural discourse, expressed through accessible language and IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 1, June 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 2813 morphological creativity. Although Meghan Trainor has received many global musical achievements and industry recognition, unfortunately her works have rarely been studied in depth from a linguistic perspective, especially in morphological analysis. Most previous studies have focused on other artists and albums. For example, Toruan (2023) examined morphemes in Calum Scott’s Bridges album, while Afri S Maulina (2021) analyzed Adele’s album. Another study by Siregar S Siregar (2021) explored derivational affixes in Harris Jung’s Salam album, revealing the dominance of derivational suffixes. These studies tend to focus on one complete album by a particular artist and show a pattern of limited exploration in this domain. However, none have addressed the morphological aspects of Meghan Trainor’s lyrics specifically. Therefore, this study aims to fill that research gap by conducting a comprehensive morphological analysis of selected songs by Meghan Trainor. It explores how she uses inflectional and derivational affixes to create meaningful, catchy, memorable lyrics. It specifically investigates how inflectional affixes are used in her songs and their grammatical functions, as well as how derivational affixes contribute to the formation of new words or the modification of existing meanings. By addressing these aspects, this research seeks to provide new insights into morphological creativity in popular music and contribute to a broader understanding of word formation practices in contemporary English. Method This study uses a qualitative research method to analyze the use of inflectional and derivational affixes in Meghan Trainor's songs. Qualitative research involves exploring and understanding human experiences and social phenomena through interpretive and descriptive approaches (Creswell, 2018). The research applies a descriptive analysis design, which focuses on identifying, categorizing, and interpreting the affixes found in selected song lyrics. A total of 10 songs by Meghan Trainor were selected as data sources. These songs represent different stages of Trainor’s musical career and showcase a variety of linguistic features and word formations in the lyrics. This selection allows for a comprehensive analysis of morphological processes in contemporary English. The selected songs are as follows: 1) All About That Bass 2) Like I’m Gonna Lose You 3) No 4) My Selfish Heart 5) I’m a Lady 6) Dear Future Husband 7) Made You Look Nanda Rizka istama, Nargis, Eka Ugi Sutikno Morphological Analysis of Derivational and Inflectional Affixes from Meghan Trainor’s Selected Song 2814 8) Me Too 9) I Wanna Thank Me 10) Bad For Me The research primarily identifies the basic types of affixes; prefixes, suffixes, and infixes; based on Katamba's (2006) theory. To distinguish between inflectional and derivational affixes, the study refers to standard morphological criteria such as whether the affix changes the grammatical category of the word (derivational) or simply adjusts tense, number, or aspect without changing word class (inflectional). To ensure inter-rater reliability, the researcher collaborated with a linguistics expert from the university, who independently cross-checked the identification and classification of affixes. Differences in interpretation were discussed and resolved through consensus to ensure consistency and accuracy in the analysis. Ambiguous cases, such as affixes with unclear functions, were carefully reviewed by both raters, and decisions were based on contextual function in the lyrics and supported by reference materials on English morphology. The main instrument in this research is the researcher, who plays a central role in data collection, analysis, and interpretation (Yoon S Uliassi, 2022). Additional instruments include the printed lyric sheets of the ten selected songs, and a categorization framework for affix classification. The data collection was conducted through documentation using a note-taking technique. The researcher read and re-read the song lyrics thoroughly to identify all words containing affixes. The affixes were then categorized into inflectional or derivational, and the results were presented in tabular form to show the distribution of affix types across songs. The data analysis was conducted in several stages. The first stage was comprehension, in which the researcher read the lyrics closely to understand the structure and patterns of word formation. The second stage was identification, where affixed words were marked. The third stage was classification, in which each affix was categorized by type (inflectional or derivational). The final stage was morphological interpretation, where the grammatical functions of the affixes were explained based on morphological theory. Results The morphological analysis of ten selected Meghan Trainor songs revealed a total of 108 affixed words. Among them, 77 were classified as inflectional affixes (74,04%) and 27 as derivational affixes (25,96%). These findings show that inflectional affixes were more dominant than derivational ones in Trainor’s lyrics. IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 1, June 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 2815 Affixes found in the data consisted of prefixes and suffixes. No infixes were identified. The analysis below is organized into two categories: derivational and inflectional affixes. Each category includes representative examples from various songs and is followed by an observation of general patterns. Table 1. Derivational Affixes N o Title of Song Wor d Affixes Base Wor d Derivati o nal Many of Derivatio nal Prefi x es Infi x es Suffi x es 1 All Abou t That Bass - - - - - - - 2 Dear Futur e Husb an d disagre e dis- agree verb into verb (negation ) 6 dirty -y dirt noun into adj classy -y dirt noun into adj Nanda Rizka istama, Nargis, Eka Ugi Sutikno Morphological Analysis of Derivational and Inflectional Affixes from Meghan Trainor’s Selected Song 2816 loving -ing love noun/ver b into adj beautif ul -ful beaut y noun into adj apologi z e -ize apolo gy noun into verb 3 Like I’m Gonn a Lose You disappe a red dis- appe ar verb into verb (negation ) 2 realize -ize real adj into noun 4 My Selfis h Hear t selfish -ish self noun into adj 3 lovely -ly love noun into adj hopeful ly -ful; - ly hope noun into adj into adv 5 No encour ag e en- coura ge noun into verb 5 beautif ul -ful beaut y noun into adj IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 1, June 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 2817 priority -ity prior adj into noun person al -al perso n noun into adj untouc ha ble un- -able touch adj into adj (negation 6 Me - - - - - - - Too 7 I’m a Lad y cutie -ie cute adj int o noun 3 leader -er lead verb into noun judgy -y judge noun/v er b into adj 8 Ba d Fo r Me endlessly -ly endl e ss adj int o adv 4 selfish -ish self noun into adj reality -ity real adj int o noun therapist -ist ther a py noun into noun (specifyi n g Nanda Rizka istama, Nargis, Eka Ugi Sutikno Morphological Analysis of Derivational and Inflectional Affixes from Meghan Trainor’s Selected Song 2818 a person) 9 Mad e You Loo k - - - - - - - 1 0 I Wa n na Tha n k Me remind re- mind noun into verb 2 bestie -ie best adj int o noun 5 - 22 Total 27 1. Derivational Affixes Derivational affixes are morphemes that change either the meaning or the grammatical category of a base word (Halawa, 2021; Samosir, 2023). These affixes may appear as prefixes or suffixes, and while English rarely employs infixes, none were found in this data set. The analysis revealed that derivational affixes frequently function to shift word classes or add new layers of meaning to base forms. Across the data, derivational affixes were found in various songs, often enriching lyrical expression. a. Prefixes Dis Data 1: “Why disagree?” (Dear Future Husband) The word disagree functioned as a verb and consists of the prefix dis- combined with the root word agree. The word agree was a verb that meant “to have the same opinion” or “to accept a suggestion or idea.” This word had a positive meaning, indicating harmony or acceptance. When the prefix dis- was added to the root word agree, it changed the meaning to the opposite. The prefix dis- in English was commonly used to form words with a negative or opposite meaning. Therefore, disagree means “to have a different opinion” or “to not accept or approve of something.” IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 1, June 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 2819 a) un- Data 16: “Untouchable, untouchable (uh, I’m feeling)” (No)The word untouchable is a morphologically complex word formed through both prefixation and suffixation. It consists of three elements: the prefix un-, the root touch, and the suffix -able. The root touch functions as a verb meaning “to make contact.” The suffix -able is a derivational suffix that attaches to verbs and forms adjectives expressing the idea of capability or possibility. When added to touch, it produces the adjective touchable, meaning “capable of being touched.” To this, the prefix un- is attached at the beginning, serving as a derivational prefix that negates the meaning of the base. As a result, untouchable means “not capable of being touched.” Although the word involves both prefixation and suffixation; making it a clear case of double affixation; the overall word class remains unchanged as an adjective. This demonstrates how multiple derivational affixes can work together to create a new, semantically opposite form while maintaining grammatical consistency. b) en- Data 14: “How you let your friends encourage” (Me Too)The prefix en- was added to a verb to form a new verb that often meant “to cause to” or “to put into” a certain state or condition. In the phrase “encourage”, the root word was courage, which meant “bravery” or “the ability to face fear or difficulty”. When the prefix en- was added, it transformed the noun courage into verb “encourage”, which meant “to give someone courage” or “ to inspire someone to be confident and hopeful”. c) re- Data 25: “… to remind me I’m sexy” ( Like I’m Gonna Lose You) In the word remind, the root word was mind, which means “to remember” or “to pay attention.” When the prefix re- is added, it formed the verb remind, which meant “to cause someone to remember something again” or “to bring something back to someone’s attention.” b. Suffixes a) -y Data 2 : “Don’t have a dirty mind” (All About That Bass) In the word “dirty mind,” the word dirty was derived from the noun dirt by adding the suffix -y. The root word dirt meant “unclean substance,” and by adding -y, it became dirty, an adjective meant “characterized by dirt” or “unclean.” Nanda Rizka istama, Nargis, Eka Ugi Sutikno Morphological Analysis of Derivational and Inflectional Affixes from Meghan Trainor’s Selected Song 2820 Data 19 : “To all those judgy eyes” (I’m a Lady) In this word, the word judgy was classified as an adjective. This word was formed by adding the suffix -y to the root word judge. Judge is a noun or verb that means “a person who forms opinions” or “to form an opinion.” When the suffix -y was added, the word became an informal adjective that meant “characterized by judging” or “being critical” which described something or someone that shows a judgmental attitude. b) -ing Data 4 : “If you wanna get that special lovin’” (Dear Future Husband) The word lovin’ iwas a colloquial form of loving, which was derived from the verb love by adding the suffix -ing. The root word love was a verb meaning “to feel deep affection or care for someone or something.” The suffix -ing was a derivational and inflectional suffix that could form the present participle or gerund form of verbs. In this case, loving functioned as a noun (gerund) referring to the act or experience of love. In “special lovin’,” lovin’ was a gerund noun, so the word class changed from verb to noun. c) -ful Data 13 : “Call me beautiful, so original” (No)The word beautiful was classified as an adjective. It was formed by adding the suffix -ful to the root word beauty. The root beauty was a noun that meant "the quality of being pleasing or attractive." When the suffix -ful was added, it changed the noun into an adjective that meant "full of beauty" or "having the quality of beauty," which described someone who had beauty. d) -ize Data 6 : “After every fight, Just apologize” (Dear Future Husband) The word apologize functioned as a verb in this sentence. It was formed by adding the suffix -ize to the noun apology. The root apology meant “an expression of regret or asking for forgiveness.” By attaching -ize, the word changed into a verb that meant “to make an apology” or “to express regret.” Therefore, apologize meant to perform the action of expressing regret or saying sorry. Data 8 : “A breath of relief, And I realized”(Like I’m Gonna Loose You) The word realized was used as a verb in this sentenc e. It was formed by adding the suffix -ize to the root word real. The root real was an adjective that meant “existing or true.” When the suffix -ize was added, it changed the adjective into a verb that meant “to make real” or “to become aware of something.” The suffix -ize thus turned real into realize, indicating the action of becoming aware or IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 1, June 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 2821 understanding something clearly. e) -ity Data 15 : “But it’s never my priority (hey)” (No) The word priority functioned as a noun in this sentence. It was formed by adding the suffix -ity to the adjective prior. The root prior meant “earlier” or “previous.” By adding the suffix -ity, the word changed into a noun that meant “the state or quality of being prior” or “something that is regarded as more important.” Therefore, priority referred to something that was considered more important or came first. f) -al Data 16 : “Don’t want you to take this personal” (No) The word personal functioned as an adjective. It was derived by adding the suffix -al to the noun person. The root person meant “an individual human being.” With the addition of -al, the word became an adjective that meant “relating to a person” or “private.” Therefore, personal described something that concerned or belonged to an individual. g) -ish Data 9 : “My selfish heart wasn’t bit no good to you” (My Selfish Heart) The word selfish functioned as an adjective. It was formed by adding the suffix -ish to the root word self. The root self was a noun that meant“one’s own person or identity.” By attaching the suffix -ish, the word became an adjective that meant “characterized by concern for oneself.” Thus, selfish described a person who was primarily concerned with their own interests. h) -ly Data 10: “One day you’ll marry such a lovely wife” (My Selfish heart) The word lovely was used as an adjective in this sentence. It was formed by adding the suffix -ly to the root word love. The root love was a noun that meant “deep affection or care.” By adding the suffix -ly, the word changed into an adjective that meant “full of love” or “attractive in a loving way.” The suffix -ly here functioned as a derivational suffix that transformed the noun love into the adjective lovely, describing someone or something that inspired affection or delight. Data 21: “No matter what, I’ll love you endlessly” (Bad For Me) The word endlessly functioned as an adverb. It was formed by adding the suffix -ly to the adjective endless. The root endless meant “without end” or “infinite.” By attaching the suffix -ly, the word changed into an adverb that described the manner of loving“ in a way that has no end.” The suffix -ly served as a derivational suffix that transformed the Nanda Rizka istama, Nargis, Eka Ugi Sutikno Morphological Analysis of Derivational and Inflectional Affixes from Meghan Trainor’s Selected Song 2822 adjective endless into the adverb endlessly, indicating how the action was performed. i) -able Data 16: “Untouchable, untouchable…” (No) The word untouchable was an adjective formed by adding the suffix -able to the verb touch with the prefix un-. The root touch meant “to make physical contact.” The suffix - able indicated ability or capacity, meaning “capable of being touched.” With the prefix un- meaning “not,” untouchable meant “not able to be touched.” The suffix -able was a derivational suffix that created adjectives expressing the ability or potential for the action of the root verb. j) -er Data 18: “I won’t play, follow the leader” (I’m a Lady) The word leader functioned as a noun. It was formed by adding the suffix -er to the verb lead. The root lead meant “to guide or direct.” By attaching the suffix -er, the word became a noun that meant “a person who leads.” The suffix -er is a derivational suffix that creates nouns indicating someone who performed the action of the root verb. Therefore, leader referred to an individual who guided or directed others. k) -ie Data 17: “Yes, I’m a cutie in my own way” (I’m a Lady) The word cutie is a noun used in this sentence. It was formed by adding the suffix -ie to the adjective cute. The root cute meant “attractive or charming.” By adding the suffix -ie, the word became a noun that referred to “a person or thing that is cute.” The suffix -ie is a derivational suffix that created informal or affectionate nouns, often used to express endearment or familiarity. Thus, cutie described someone who is charming or lovable. l) -ist Data 23: “And my, my therapist told me to write” (Bad For Me) The word therapist functioned as a noun in this sentence. It was formed by adding the suffix -ist to the noun therapy. The root therapy meant “treatment intended to relieve or heal a disorder.” By attaching the suffix -ist, the word changed into a noun that referred to “a person who practices or specializes in therapy.” Although both therapy and therapist were nouns, the suffix -ist was considered a derivational suffix because it created a new word with a different meaning by specifying a person associated with or specialized in the base noun. This suffix changed the semantic role of the word, turning a general IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 1, June 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 2823 concept therapy into a specific agent or practitioner therapist. Table 2. Inflectional Affixes N o. Title of Song Word Affixes Bas e wor d Inflectional Many of Deriva ti onal Pref i xes Inf i xe s Suff i xes 1 All suppose -ed suppo verb into 7 Abou d se verb (past t That tense) Bass places -d place noun into noun ( plural) workin’ -ing work verb into verb ( present participle/ge rund) says -s say verb into verb (third person singular) bringing -ing bring verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) playing -ing play verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) boys -s boy noun into noun (plural 2 Dear Futur e Husb and things -s thing noun into noun (plural) flowers -s flower noun into noun (plural) Nanda Rizka istama, Nargis, Eka Ugi Sutikno Morphological Analysis of Derivational and Inflectional Affixes from Meghan Trainor’s Selected Song 2824 buying -ing buy verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) grocerie s -ies grocer y noun into noun (plural) thinking -ing think verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) baking -ing bake verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) learned -ed learn verb into verb (past tense) acting -ing act verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) lovin’ -ing love verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) sleeping -ing sleep verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) kisses -es kiss verb into verb (plural 3 Like I’m Gonn promise d -d promi se verb into verb (past tense) a Loose You pulled -ed pull verb into verb (past tense) disappe ared -ed disapp ear verb into verb (past tense) standin g -ng stand verb into verb (present IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 1, June 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 2825 participle/ge rund) saying -ing say verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) dreamin g -ing dream verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) knows -s know verb into verb (third person singular) 4 My Selfis h Heart intende d -ed intend verb into verb (past tense) breaks -s break verb into verb (third person singular) focused -ed focus verb into verb (past tense) pulls -s pull verb into verb (third person singular) swervin g -ing swerv verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) deservi ng -ing deserv e verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) 5 No friends -s friend noun into noun (plural) runnin’ -ing run verb into verb (present participle/ge Nanda Rizka istama, Nargis, Eka Ugi Sutikno Morphological Analysis of Derivational and Inflectional Affixes from Meghan Trainor’s Selected Song 2826 rund) thinking -ing think verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) believin g -ing believ e verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) telling -ing tell verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) giving -ing give verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) ladies -ies lady noun into noun (plural) lips -s lip noun into noun (plural) hips -s hip noun into noun (plural) hands -s hand noun into noun (plural) feeling -ing feel verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) girls -s girl noun into noun (plural) 6 Me Too standin g -ing stand verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) hanging -ing hang verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) feelin’ -ing feel verb into verb (present participle/ge IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 1, June 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 2827 rund) loving -ing love verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) drinks -s drink verb into verb (third person singular) tried -ed try verb into verb (past tense) 7 I’m a Lady sweeter -er sweet adj into adj (comparativ e) worried -ed worry verb into verb (past tense) girls -s girl noun into noun (plural) 8 Bad For Me hurting -ing hurt verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) promise s -s promi se verb into verb (third person singular) intentio ns -s intenti on noun into noun (plural) dies -s die verb into verb (third person singular) gets -s get verb into verb (third person singular) someti mes -s someti me adv into adv (plural) 9 Made hotter -er hot adj into adj Nanda Rizka istama, Nargis, Eka Ugi Sutikno Morphological Analysis of Derivational and Inflectional Affixes from Meghan Trainor’s Selected Song 2828 You Look (comparativ e) ladies -ies lady noun into noun (plural) 1 0 I Wann a Than k me believin g -ing believ e verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) clappin’ -ing clap verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) reads -s read verb into verb (third person singular) wanted -ed want verb into verb (past tense) lookin’ -ing look verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) workin’ -ing work verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) talkin’ -ing talk verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) hatin’ -ing hate verb into verb (present participle/ge rund) tries -es try verb into verb ( third person singular) worlds -s world noun into noun (plural) IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 1, June 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 2829 - - 77 Total 77 2. Inflectional Affixes Inflectional affixes do not create new words or change grammatical categories; instead, they express grammatical relations such as tense, plurality, and comparison (Guna et al., 2024; Yastanti et al., 2021). In English, these affixes appear only as suffixes. Inflectional affixes adapt words to grammatical rules without forming new words. For example, the addition of “-es” or “-ed” to a verb does not change the base word but adapts it for a specific subject or a specific time (Cahayaningrum, 2025). Their main role was to help fit words into the grammatical framework of sentences without producing new vocabulary items. All prefixes in English were derivational (Martini, 2016). Therefore, inflectional affixes in English were only found as suffixes, because prefixes are used to create new words or change meaning. 3. Suffixes a. -ed/d (past tense) Data 19: “No, we’re not promised tomorrow” (Like I’m Gonna Loose You) The word promised was the past participle of promise, formed by adding the inflectional suffix -ed. In “we’re not promised,”-ed marked the past participle in a passive construction, showing that the action was not guaranteed for the subject. b. -s/ies (plural) Data 2: “And all the right junk in all the right places” (All About That Bass); Data 11: “Buying groceries....” (Dear Future Husband) The word places and groceries are plural forms formed by adding -s and -ies respectively. The root place referred to a location or area. The root grocery referred to food or other goods sold in a grocery store. The suffix -ies indicated more than one grocery item. The base nouns remain unchanged in category. c. -s (third person singular) Data 70: “She never reads the teleprompter (uh-huh)” ( I Wanna Thank Me) The word reads is formed by adding the inflectional suffix -s to the base verb read. In this sentence, the suffix -s indicates that the subject (she) is a third person singular noun in the present tense. This inflectional form shows subject-verb agreement, marking that the action of reading is performed habitually or currently by a third person singular subject. The word class remains a verb d. -ing (present participle/gerund) Data 51: “That’s me, standin’ in the mirrtor” (Me Too) The word standin’ Nanda Rizka istama, Nargis, Eka Ugi Sutikno Morphological Analysis of Derivational and Inflectional Affixes from Meghan Trainor’s Selected Song 2830 is a colloquial spelling of standing, which is formed by adding the inflectional suffix -ing to the base verb stand. In this context, standing functions as a present participle describing the subject (me) in a continuous action. The suffix -ing does not alter the word class; it remains a verb, but marks the verb for its ongoing aspect, indicating that the action is happening at the moment of speaking. e. -er (comparative) Data 66: “But I’m hotter when my morning hair’s a mess” (Made You Look) The word hotter is the comparative form of the adjective hot, created by adding the inflectional suffix -er. This suffix indicates a comparison of degree, showing that the speaker considers herself to be more attractive or more appealing in the described condition (when my morning hair’s a mess). The addition of -er does not change the word class; hot remains an adjective, but rather marks it for comparative meaning, a grammatical function typical of inflectional morphology. Discussion Katamba (2006) distinguished between inflectional and derivational affixes in morphological studies. He explained that the inflectional process was related to syntactic rules that were predictable, automatic, systematic, consistent, and did not change the lexical identity of a word. In other words, inflectional affixes only modified the form of a word to meet grammatical requirements without creating a new word or changing their basic meaning (Bagiya, 2017). In contrast, derivational affixes tended to be unpredictable, did not appear automatically, and often changed the word class and lexical identity of the base form (Mutaqin et al., 2023). The findings of this study align with Katamba’s framework: inflectional affixes were more frequently used than derivational ones in Meghan Trainor’s lyrics. This suggests that her songs prioritized grammatical clarity and rhythmic cohesion rather than lexical innovation. The use of inflectional endings such as -ed, -s, and -ing helped structure verb tense, aspect, and plurality; features that support the fluency, rhyme, and natural flow of pop lyrics. In line with previous findings, a similar pattern was identified in a study by Toruan (2023), who analyzed lyrics from Calum Scott’s Bridges album and found 99 inflectional morphemes compared to 50 derivational ones. Like Trainor, Scott frequently used inflectional affixes, especially endings such as -s, -ed, and -ing. Toruan concluded that this trend reflected the grammatical demands of English, particularly in song lyrics, which prioritize clarity and rhythmic flow. While Katamba’s theory provides a solid foundation, other morphological scholars such as (Booij, 2010) and (Bauer, 2001) offer complementary insights. Booij emphasizes the interface between morphology and phonology in song lyrics, which may explain the preference for inflectional suffixes that maintain syllabic balance and rhythm. Bauer, on the other hand, discusses productivity in affixation, IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 1, June 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 2831 helping us understand why derivational processes are less common in lyrics, where simplicity and immediate comprehension are key.The dominance of inflectional affixes in song lyrics could also be interpreted from a usage-based perspective. Pop music, being a form of mass communication, often mirrors spoken discourse; where grammatical markers are essential for processing meaning quickly. Moreover, since lyrics are constrained by melody, artists may favor grammatical forms that are predictable and easily integrated into musical phrasing. One possible limitation of this study is the focus on only one artist, which restricts generalizability. However, the comparative insight from Toruan (2023) and theoretical support from multiple sources help validate the findings. Further research could include artists from different genres or linguistic backgrounds to explore whether the prevalence of inflectional morphology is consistent across the broader landscape of contemporary music.Overall, both studies highlighted a consistent linguistic pattern in English pop songs, namely the tendency to use inflectional affixes to mark time, number, and level of comparison, without changing the basic meaning of the word. This finding supported Katamba's (2006) opinion that inflectional morphology was systematic, organized, and played an essential role in maintaining fluency and cohesion in lyrical composition. Conclusion The findings revealed that inflectional affixes are more dominant than derivational ones, with 77 instances of inflectional affixes compared to 27 derivational affixes. This dominance suggests that grammatical features such as tense, plurality, and comparison are more frequently emphasized in Meghan Trainor’s lyrics than the creation of entirely new words. While this finding aligns with previous research, such as Toruan (2023) , who also identified inflectional affixes as more dominant in Calum Scott's lyrics, it is important to note that this conclusion is limited to the specific data set used; ten songs selected from Meghan Trainor's discography. The generalization of this result to all of Trainor's songs or to pop music in general should be made with caution. Another limitation of this study is its qualitative descriptive approach, which focused primarily on classification and frequency rather than deeper syntactic or semantic analysis of affix usage References Afri, E., S Maulina, I. (2021). Analysis of Derivational and Inflectional Morpheme in Song’s Lyrics of Adele Album. 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