What term denotes the smallest units of meaning in language?

The term that denotes the smallest units of meaning in language is morphemes. Morphemes are the building blocks of words and can be whole words themselves or pieces of words, such as prefixes and suffixes. For example, the word "unhappiness" consists of three morphemes: "un-" (the prefix meaning "not"), "happy" (the root word), and "-ness" (the suffix indicating a state or condition).

Understanding morphemes is essential in the study of linguistics because they play a critical role in the formation of words and convey specific meanings. This concept is fundamental in fields such as language acquisition and cognitive psychology, as it affects how we understand and produce language.

In contrast, phonemes refer to the smallest units of sound in a language that can distinguish one word from another, but they do not carry meaning by themselves. Syntax pertains to the rules that govern the structure of sentences, determining how words are arranged to convey meaning. Semantics refers to the study of meaning itself, including the meanings of words and phrases within context. While both syntax and semantics are crucial for understanding language, they operate at higher levels than morphemes and are not the smallest units of meaning.